Domino Effect
by LionDuckling
Summary: What if Yukio was given a chance to see what would life be like if he was never born? What if he was then also given the chance to see everything after if he were to die? Just how important is Yukio Okumura to "Blue Exorcist"? *SPOILER ALERT: Will contain from the entire anime and current manga chapters with more updates.
1. 1 Yukio's Inner Struggles

( Part One )

The atmosphere of the room was heavy, the quietness was terrible, and the inner feelings of helplessness was overwhelming.  
. . .

Way on the other side, just further down the different buildings of True Cross Academy's campus, there stood a single very old boys dorm, although it only really housed two in total. These two students living in the mentioned dorm by themselves and currently enrolled to attend the prestigious school were brothers, fraternal twin brothers known by the names of Rin and Yukio Okumura.

Neither had spoken in quite some time as they sat in their room. One had no idea what to even say to the other since Yukio finally got back from the True Cross hospital just a few hours before.

Being a Middle First Class exorcist, of both a Doctor and Dragoon Meister, Yukio was back from visiting one his students by the name of Konekomaru Miwa. Yukio had at least waited until he was told that Miwa was asleep to check on him then, to not scare his student. This was all because Miwa, along with the rest, now knew of the demonic powers Rin possessed.

Yukio, the twin of a demon, or even secretly a demon himself as well, this was the next new buzz around campus. About the younger twin, this merely was guessed of soon after news on the whole ordeal of how it all happened, some exaggerated details along with it, were spread. This same thought of both Okumura's being demons had scared them all too, all exorcists alike. They were more frightening to others as they both were demons directly from Satan himself, humanity's worst enemy and history's most feared demon of demons. Rin's blue flames were proof of this father/son lineage, that even to an untrained eye one can make this obvious connection.

That made-up idea about his teacher supposedly being a demon too seemed to scare Miwa all the same, even though Yukio was completely a human the same as him, for now? Who knows? In reality, Miwa did have reason to be afraid of the power considering the amount of danger he was put in that time, and the fact of the "Blue Night", but he was completely _terrified_ to even think to be around any one of the boys ever since. It seemed that the Cram School students, including fellow exorcists on staff, started to think and believe in this as well and avoided Yukio if he was close by. He got some bad reactions like his older brother Rin after the "Big Reveal", even though the heat was way still considerably less when compared to Rin's situation.

It was actually Rin who people were really afraid of out of the two, and some even ran away on the spot upon seeing him thinking things like: 'Rin might torch them into ash with his gaze' or simply being too scared to be around him should his anger be triggered somehow again.

Yukio, just walking around the hallways of the hospital, had people from all over displaying the same kinds of behavior as the rest at school were and he had painfully noticed how it was happening no matter where he went.

Shura was not available yet to be Miwa's Doctor, her having that Meister as well as being a Knight, so Yukio had went in her place to Miwa for the time being until her return.

Shura Kirigakure had been called in by the Vatican concerning Rin's demonic nature being, unfortunately, found out by the current Paladin known as Arthur Auguste Angel himself, of all people.  
The whole incident was reported to the Grigori and Angel had taken in Shura and Rin to the Knights of the True Cross Order HQ for a big case in their courtroom to deal with this sudden number one priority "Threat" they had just found out about. Anything that had to do with Satan was considered too much of a danger to humanity, being THE very worst demon of all.

Luckily, Rin was able to come back to the school after some intervening from the Headmaster himself, Mephisto Pheles, mentioning stuff about Rin in the near future as being trained into some sort of "Ultimate Weapon" for the Order. Yukio didn't like the sound of that one bit but it's what essentially saved Rin from being imprisoned and forced to live the rest of his life in the deep Vatican cells underground, probably even awaiting his own execution by the Knights should they change their minds. He didn't like to admit it but Sir Pheles was the one who helped Rin out when Yukio's arguments were ignored. It seemed like the younger Okumura unfortunately owed the untrustworthy preceptor one for saving Rin, even though it seemed like more of an insult than a helping hand for the way Sir Pheles went about it in labeling Rin as his supposed "Weapon" and such.

Shura was still kept back at HQ because of some suggestive rumors floating about the Vatican in questioning where her loyalties lay since she was found willingly protecting the former Paladin's secret of Satan's two sons existing in Assiah, understanding full well how that was against her original given assignment. For Shura, it was all about how dangerous it is to have allowed that kind of unknown, plus very powerful, demon loose running amok which is a risk to the millions of civilians all around and she let him live for her unknown reasons. The issue for them is why she didn't report it right away like she was supposed to do, especially even there at the academy in the first place as a secret Inspector called in directly from the Vatican's higher ups, code name "Yamada". That was her special top priority mission that she had failed to complete, given right after the sudden death of the late Father Shiro Fujimoto.

Unfortunately, her current situation was all coming up from how Miwa and the other Cram School students, who were really unprepared on that fateful night, were dangerously caught up in that fight between Rin and that powerful demon. Shura was actually blamed as far as to how a student was injured because she didn't let anybody else know of this "Wild Demon" within the Cram School, who could've been watched over in order to have possibly prevented the berserk behavior that happened in the first place fighting against one of the strongest: the Demon King of Earth, Amaimon. The power of Satan's offspring let loose was too risky and could've resulted to much worse if she found she couldn't handle it. Paladin Angel was praised to have been there and to have "Saved" the lives of those students who were present, further damaging the name of Fujimoto.

This uninvited guest who showed up during the exam in the forest was of an extreme level that none of the Cram School students had ever thought to fight against so early in their path to becoming an exorcist. With Rin being the obvious target, he was blamed for attracting the danger and Shura was looked down upon in how she let Rin's classmates become a target too. The sudden development of things that night led to how Rin was forced to let his powers appear in front of everybody and letting them see how things aren't always what they seem. Thinking of only protecting his friends from the threat, Rin's intentions were overlooked by the fear his classmates now held of him having discovered about his demonic powers.

Miwa was only trying to protect an already injured Bon at the time from the strong green demon when Rin's blue flames had came in at the students too close, that the blue flames were just way out of control and fiercely intense coming at them all as strong as the attacks the demon, Amaimon, was getting thrown at him.  
The protection Aria was in a form of a yellow shield that Miwa had chanted to conjure in front of Bon and the rest of the Cram School students yet it was not strong enough at that moment because his heart was much too clouded with fear. That Aria could only hold back so much of the damage at that moment, it all just happened too fast for anybody to really react.  
This happening is what ultimately led Miwa to the hospital with burns on both of his arms and a concussion from the blast. Miwa was also praised for his efforts to take a stand to protect his friends considering the amount of risk he put himself in, and how true that was.

All the bonds Rin worked so hard to finally make within the Cram School seemed beyond broken after this.

It's been a little over seven weeks since the incident and the lives of the brothers have completely turned around from what they once knew before. Nobody even wanted to look at them like they used to. Nobody had those welcoming looks in their eyes or said any friendly greetings as they would pass people or enter a room anymore.

Those teachers who didn't know about Rin at first either, changed into doing the same, almost even worse than the students were.

The twins had to learn to ignore all of the pointing fingers and the talking behind their backs. As easy enough it was to think like that, it exhausted the brothers to no end from how much they had to pretend they weren't hurt from what they heard and pretend how they didn't see those constant reactions of fear from people that were directed towards them both.

They kept on pretending that they were okay in order to not worry the other, the best that they can anyways.

"Isn't that the boy right there? THE boy?"  
"That IS what you would expect from a demon's child, this kind of result. What good can come from any demons roaming about in Assiah?"  
"I wonder how this academy is still standing in one piece compared to what he did to the forest so close from this school! Imagine THAT kind of damage right here!"  
"I have no idea what Sir Pheles is even thinking letting that boy walk around here. It's dangerous!"  
"If he tries to pull anything crazy, we'll just take him out easily. No sweat."  
"Why are the higher ups even considering letting that traitorous Shura off so easily? I can't trust her anymore, having gone against such absolute orders like she did."  
"HE'S the son of Satan?"  
"Do you think if I were the one to finish him off that maybe I'll get at least a promotion jump to Upper 2nd Class? To have taken out a demon as wild as him? Credit for taking down Satan's offspring?"  
"Shush! He'll hear you newbie! Don't provoke that _demon_! Haven't you heard what he did to his classmates just recently?"  
"Isn't that Mr. Okumura's TWIN brother? Then is he a demon too?!"  
"At this point, I don't trust the Order if they can't let us know of these things. What are we to them? Cannon fodder? Expendable pawns?"  
"I heard he almost killed them all! His friends! So that was actually true?!"  
"If he did that to his supposed 'Friends', then I worry what he will do to us teachers."  
"What is the Vatican even thinking?! That they might STILL let Shura stay as an Exorcist?! Madness I tell you."  
"Later this afternoon I'll go and ask the Japanese Branch if I could be stationed somewhere else. It's not worth it to be so stubborn and get killed here because of this uncontrollable demon. He's way too strong."  
...Those were only a few of the conversations that Rin and Yukio walked into as they made their way around the academy to their classes. Nobody held back. Yukio himself heard way more brutal things than those cruel remarks, way worse about his brother as he walked around the offices of where he had to get his daily appointments. He had no choice but to go since his higher ups wanted to check and keep track of if in case his demonic powers ever started to show. There's all this trouble to checking if he was at least still a human, especially since having two blue flamed spouting demons to pay attention to were more troublesome than just keeping track of only one of them. People worried if Yukio's possible demon side would wake up soon or if it already secretly had and the test results have been tampered with if Shura can go against orders so easily. The amount of distrust within the Vatican walls were causing such a disturbance that had never been seen before to this extent.

Both the twins kept trying to go on with their day, but it was still too obvious how differently the brothers Okumura were being treated around the academy these days.

What the brothers had feared the most since day one when their adventure first began had finally happened.

When this crucial moment of truth came to pass, they thought they had mentally over-prepared themselves enough to withstand the kind of pressure that would come from the people around them in the inevitable situation they would eventually fall in, but they never knew exactly how much letting your guard down after feeling you could trust these people would hurt, especially this much more as they made good friendships with many people.

It hurt even more when their "Friend's" true reactions came into play soon after everything was out in the open.

Rin and Yukio felt truly alone in this academy, a place where they've come to comfortably call home at one point. During their stay there, it really seemed like a place to go back too, but that may never be again it seemed. Feeling so lost, they didn't know where "Home" was anymore.

 **Yukio Okumura POV**

I moved from sitting at my desk. I just couldn't find it in me to really concentrate on my work to grade the pile of homework papers my students have turned in. Repeatedly looking at their names didn't make trying to ignore the situation that Rin found himself in any easier.

"I'm going down to the kitchen and get some water. Rin? Do you need anything? Hungry?" I asked carefully.

My brother seemed like a completely different person since that day I took notice of quickly. Rin hasn't been the same since, not as his loud annoying self that took to bothering me whenever I needed to get work done.

I thought that I had always wanted him to "Grow Up" and be more mature but no, this isn't the brother I know. This silence when I do my work, I even forget he's there and it's _definitely_ not what I'm used to.

Rin shook his head slightly still staring at his open textbook on his desk, he hasn't even flipped the page since he opened it, which was hours ago. I stayed a second more in case and then turned around to walk out of the room.

I went down the stairs and made my way into the kitchen. I kept thinking about everything that's been going on and I feel like I can't take it anymore. Shaking my head with a sigh, I started to made my way into the fridge and grabbed by bottled water. I drank about half the bottle before putting the cap back on it and leaving it inside the fridge again.  
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize of the small stove spirit right behind me. He called me over to him and pointed down at the empty pan in his hand as his way to ask me if I was hungry. I shook my head.

"Thanks Ukobach but I'm not feeling hungry yet, neither is Rin. I already ate on my way back here." I told him.

He nodded and put the pan away seeming a bit disappointed in how he isn't need at the monent.

"No, it's not that your food isn't good or anything, it's great!" I said honestly to cheer him up. "I was just too far from home at the time and had lunch... But I actually need you to do me a favor, if you can?" I asked while standing in front of Ukobach where he stood on the kitchen counter.

His head picked up and nodded to show that he understood what I was saying and waved on for me to continue.

"You see, Rin hasn't left his room in a while so try to convince him yourself that he needs to eat at least something. Check up on him in about an hour or so from now if he doesn't come in here himself by then. Bring him some dinner you see. Can you do maybe that for him?"

Ukobach had nodded his head happily and gave me a thumbs up. He never tries speaking to me knowing that I wouldn't be able to understand him like my brother does and resorts to using visuals to communicate when Rin isn't there to translate.

"Thanks Ukobach, I owe you one." I said when I shook his out stretched hand.

He waved at me before I left to back upstairs for the bedroom. Just when I was about to open the door, it swung open before me and Rin stood there looking at me. I was surprised to finally see him up and walking.

"Rin? Where are you going?" I asked him, standing purposely on his way out.

He looked at me for the first time in days and I noticed how it seems like he wasn't sleeping well lately and how his usually cheerful eyes looked unnaturally lifeless. He took a moment to answer.

"I just need some fresh air. I'll be back by bedtime." He said looking away from me.

I realized how this was the first time in a while that he had even talked or answered a question, I haven't even heard his voice since he came back from being with the Grigori to ask about Miwa's condition. It sounded dry and very monotone when he spoke.

Before I could say anything, he walked past me and went down the hallway and out of my sight.

"W- wait! Rin..." I trailed off in my words as he turned the corner and went on ahead, ignoring me.

Actually, I wasn't sure if I COULD even say anything to him. I can't think of saying or doing anything that would help him out when he needs me the most. That thought frustrated me to no end. How am I supposed to even protect him if I can't even protect him from himself? I sighed heavily while passing a hand through my hair then fix my glasses back in place.  
I looked over my desk where I still had pile of work to grade ready for the end of this week to return them to the students of Cram School.

Finally, in what seemed like a rush of anger coursed through me, everything that had been bottled up had been released all surging through me at the same time in a flurry of intense emotions.

I shut the door behind me, slamming it shut loudly. I went over to my desk and in my rage threw everything I had, papers and books and pens, they all flew across the room to the floor. I kicked my chair away and it hit the other wall, part of the back leg had broken off and splinters from that fell surrounding that area of the room.

I grabbed my book bag up from the floor that I stepped on where I keep it beside the door and threw it across the room from me too, the textbooks making loud contact when it smacked against the wall as well.  
Breathing heavily, I looked at the mess around me and I turned to punch the wall behind me as hard as I can. A moment later, I removed my hand from the new dent the size of my fist and stood there with my head leaned against the wall, a bead of sweat rolling off of my face with my hand stinging from the pain.

What could I do? Why did it have to be like this? Must we live the rest of our lives with everybody being so afraid of us? Why Rin of all people?  
With all the murderers and criminals lurking around, Rin's only problem was to have been born from a direct demonic bloodline of which he couldn't even have _any_ kind of control whatsoever from. The whole situation is ridiculous! I KNOW he didn't mean to hurt anybody on purpose, so they don't understand at least that much about him in the way his twin brother does. Rin is much more kinder that what they believe, so why? Why?!

Satan's powers were supposed to have been split between us. That was the darn original idea, wasn't it? It could've been me, I easily could've been the one who got the blue flames too but it wasn't to be it seems.

If I were a "Demon" as well like him, then would I actually finally be able to understand what my brother has been going through these past few weeks? As a "Human", it just seems like I can't know completely when it's labeled in that way dividing who's who, between human and demon, an enemy or not.  
To have that rare ability to handle such an extreme power, I was simply too weak at the time.

"Too... Too weak?" I asked myself out loud looking at my hand stinging with pain and turned red.

Why did that seem to make the most sense? How can it be that with everything I do and have trained for, I still can't do anything when I need to the most?!

I backed off from the wall and looked at the mess again. I was feeling too exhausted at this point to even think about cleaning it all up.  
I bottled up whatever left over anger that I haven't let out back in that inner bottle of mine to not destroy the rest of the bedroom in another fit of rage. Guess that bottling up my emotions and unspoken thoughts appear to be my strong point at least, as useless as that is.

I flipped the light switch and without the lights now, everything around myself had become darker.

When I jumped on my mattress, it got really quiet again once the bed's springs stopped their usual squeaking. When I turned from my back to face the window and lay on my side, I could see the sunset through the now cracked window.  
I shook my head at how I allowed myself let the anger do that to me when I could usually just keep it all in better than I've just did. I took off my glasses to place them by my table beside me, my hands were still shaking from the anger I let out but I just closed my hands in a fist and put them behind my head on the pillow with myself laying sideways.

"If anybody should be afraid of any demons on campus, they should be worried about me the most. Aren't I the one who's the most likely to be a victim of a demonic possession, Shura?" I spoke to really no one and had turned over to lay on my back once more. I silently stared upwards at the now darkened, blurry, ceiling.

Remembering Shura's words from a day when we once had a bet to who could defeat the most demons in training once about three years ago and even sometime recently, she warned me how my "Type" are the ones most at risk to be attacked by a demon. I think about the irony in her words seeing how I'm also one of Satan's offspring. In a way, I'm already a demon, so why is it Rin is really the only one being treated like such a monster?

I thought to myself how much unnecessary stress I go through on a day to day basis and know that right there is no way to live.

"Maybe things would have been better off if I was never even born? To not make it so hard on everybody else. All I do is scare them all off and bring fear about the place." I talked out loud knowing that I won't get any answer from the quiet night.

I closed my eyes hoping to take a break from all of this. I thought even more how impossible it is to even wish that, I've already spent fifteen years on this planet and it can't be reversed in any way. So, what if I were to just finally...

"Disappear."

I jumped to sit up on my bed. I had a hand over my face and noticed how my heart beat wildly because of those those kinds of thoughts.

"Is this what it all has to come down to? I guess I really am a demon, to think like that."

I shook my head and laid back down but this time to face the wall. I didn't move to get my blankets though, just feeling much too tired from the day. I closed my eyes to allow sleep to take over.

At least dreams were a short vacation from cruel reality.


	2. 2 Dreams And Visions

**Yukio Okumura POV**

I felt myself waking up, there was a slight and gentle breeze going through the room and I don't remember ever turning on the fan before falling asleep. Maybe the bedroom window finally shattered and this feeling were from the night winds passing into the room? I shouldn't sleep like this, I'll probably get a cold sleeping in such conditions.

With my eyes still closed and still laying on my side, I reached around under my pillow to get the folded blankets I keep there. I froze when I noticed how I couldn't even find my pillow. I've been laying on my arm.

My eyes shot open when I felt the fabric of the bed, it wasn't fabric. I was laying on a patch of grassy field outside. I sat up quickly and was almost blinded by the morning sun in my face. I covered my eyes with one hand and waited until they adjusted in order to take a look at the scenery before me. My eyes widened when I saw how I wasn't even on campus anymore, I wasn't even anywhere close to another building in this vast stretch of nature.

I stood up and wiped away some of the dirt that made it on my clothes. I couldn't remember anything to even begin to think of some reasonable explanation to how I got here. There's no logic to how I woke up in the middle of nowhere by myself. I've never even stepped a foot in this area before. I don't have problems sleepwalking and I doubt to this extreme extent, miles away into the wilderness.

Suddenly I checked myself for any weapons of any kind that I may be carrying on me. Looking for my guns and other exorcist equipment, I realized how I wasn't even carrying anything useful if I came across an unfortunate encounter with anything dangerous like a bear, or even a demon if it came to that.

I didn't even remember putting my glasses back on and yet here I was wearing them, right where they should be.

I sighed trying to find a way back to my dorms thinking how it must be some kind of dream that I've made it all the way back here. I felt a lightbulb go off at those words.

"That's it! A dream! Of course, how could I have not remembered at least that much? I fell asleep." I said to myself.

I guess that all I have to do now is to wake myself up. But how exactly do I pull that off?

I pinched my arm really hard and closed my eyes hoping that'd be enough. Letting go of my arm and expecting to open my eyes to the ceiling of my room, I looked before me in a horror in how that didn't work. Feeling the sharp sting on my arm from how hard I grabbed into the skin a few seconds more, I was still in this place.

"N- no way. What? This can't... All of this can't be... Real?"

I bent down and pulled out a small tuft of grass from the ground and held it in my palm just staring at it. The winds, the grass, heat from the sun, this very dirt... All of it seemed too real as well. Realizing this all the while, I was trying to figure out how to find a plan to make it back home.

"Back home?" I said wondering what kind of place that could be.

I shook my head and stood up. Dropping the grass I held back on the ground before I walked back to the tree I woke up under, I put one of my hands on it. The bark on the tree was real enough as well.

I thought for a moment in how, possibly, this tree could be my ticket back to True Cross Academy! I moved to walk around the tree until I had found what I was looking for.

"Found it." I said proud of myself for thinking of this right away.

What I needed was to find the side of the tree that had a patch of moss growing on it. Depending on where the tree grows, moss will only grow on the North side of a tree being the coldest part. This method was how many people in the older days went about traveling without getting lost as much and this was how I made it through some of my simulation training for an exorcist. I'm glad how dad taught me that before I had to go and take my exams, without him I couldn't have been able to pass.

I smiled at the thought of dad, how he still finds a way to look after me, even a little, well after he had already died.

Looking over where North should be, I started to make my way straight ahead. Somewhere ahead I should eventually make it to civilization, shouldn't I? This is how I can get back to campus and forget this whole strange situation I found myself in ever happened...

For what I could guess about two hours later, I forced to keep myself walking ahead under the blazing heat of the sun shining upon the seemingly endless field. I wiped some beads of sweat rolling off of my forehead and finally decided to look up from what seems like forever. I finally saw some kind of line of trees straight ahead from me, a big forest area. From there I could possibly lay down and find some shade before I keep going, if I COULD make it that far ahead. All of the winds seemed to have stopped altogether and the temperature seemed to have risen a few degrees since I first woke up. Those trees I was walking towards was the first thing other than bright green grass and clear blue skies I've been seeing so far.

Thinking about it, it was a really bad idea to do knowing how I had to conserve any energy I had in whatever situation I might need to run from but if I kept myself under the intense rays of the suns here any longer, then I might not only have to worry so much about energy but for severe dehydration too. I decided to run towards to the trees and make it to there as fast as I possibly can in this troublesome situation now. What could've been a distance of probably twenty to twenty five minutes if I kept walking, I made it into about ten minutes flat.

Right when I made it under the first line of shade under the trees I tripped over what seemed like something hard and metal. I put my hands over in front of me when I fell and landed on the ground. Under the trees, all of a sudden I noticed how much cooler the air around me was. Having pushed myself too hard then, I had no strength to make myself sit up and keep going. No, I'm just going to have to stay on the ground and catch my breath before moving on elsewhere.

After what could've only been no more than fifteen minutes, I heard the rustling of the trees and felt another cool breeze sweep over me. Feeling better but not yet at full strength yet, I started to move myself up to find some source of water knowing that the trees had to grow somehow.

Suddenly, from inside the line of trees, I heard a twig snap and I shot my head to look up. I can't be about to face a wild animal now. Of all the times that I usually came prepared, this wasn't the time or place to face off a territorial animal. But then again, this wasn't a usual situation I found myself to be in.

I pushed my legs up to start to get up but they felt like noodles and couldn't work properly. Having walked this entire distance and been under this heat, even forcing to run the rest of the way, I had no way to escape from whatever was about to pounce in front of me and attack. Footsteps were getting closer and my heartbeat was getting faster in the risky situation I was in, the adrenaline coursing through me. If I could just jump at the last second, that could buy me some time to confuse it and maybe I could leap into the forest and try to run off, but where to afterwards?

I had heard a few times before how people would say that if one were to die in a dream that the same would happen to their unconscious bodies and the person would be killed off too, but that kind of superstition can't be all true, right? I don't want to be the one who finds out if it's a valid point or not, I need to get out if here and survive! This could still be a dream, as real as it all seems, but I can't take any chances at all.

I closed my eyes as the footsteps came closer and closer, the rush of pumping blood drumming in my ears. In no time, I felt that something was standing in front of me just looking at where I laid. Whatever it was didn't do anything at all and the suspense kept growing but I didn't dare to move right away. I kept my breathing slow to look like I was a corpse, to fake death as animals have been known to do in order to escape dangerous situations.

I felt whatever it was lean down and come closer to my face. It was probably a deer if it didn't attack me by now but wild deers where still dangerous and I didn't need to actually feel their hoof stomping on my back, breaking bones on the process, to understand this much. I still needed to think of something to do to and not get onto any other kind of contact with any wild animals until I found humans to help me.

I took a moment not really having time to hesitate, but I moved my right hand to slap the face of any animal that could've been curious enough to find me and jumped back a foot away from them.

I looked up in shock. Not believing what I was seeing, before me stood a young beautiful woman, about mid twenties at most, in a light purple colored dress wearing a handmade crown of flowers around her head. She looked over to me surprised because I had slapped her hand away and I was frozen on the spot thinking how silly it was how this "Dangerous Animal" was a person that I was able to get some help from.

"H- hello?" She spoke first.

I was still breathing heavily and had no idea what was going on. Was she stuck here like me? Or how was it that she was able to find me? That part was suspicious about this unknown lady.

"Do you need some water? Food?" She asked offering me a small pouch of the liquid of life.

This is what I needed most in the moment and gulped it all down needing to catch my breath after. It felt refreshing finally having something to parch my dry throat as I wiped a trail of water from the corner of my mouth.

The lady walked over to what must've been what I had tripped over earlier and it was a pan. She inspected the dent that I caused falling over it and unintentionally kicking it against the rock pointing out of the ground it was near. I looked around the area in front if me while I was still sitting cross crossed on the ground, this place looked to be like some kind of camp. There was even a tent that I had just taken notice of just a little ways to the left and where she was standing seemed like it was her outside kitchen of sorts.

She put the pan down and bent down to look through her bag and pulled out from there what seemed like two sandwhiches. Making her way back to where I was to right in front of me, she handed it to give me one. I unwrapped the plastic while mumbling a thanks to her but only to see that the sandwich was even to detail how I like to eat mine, no crust and extra cheese in it. I looked over at her to ask her how this was possible without ever having met me before now but I had then spotted how her sandwiches was the same so it could just be a very random coincidence plus the exhaustion was getting to me so I just stayed quiet instead. We ate in silence and she even passed me a second one.

"No, I couldn't. Thanks but this is your food. It's okay, ma'am." I told her.

"Are you sure? I already have too many and food always tastes better with company around." She smiles telling me this.

"If you say so, I guess that's true." I answered while taking the food.

She sat back down but this time instead of across to me like she was, she sat right next to me. I tensed up at the sudden closeness of this strange lady but I didn't want to be rude and say something that would offend her. I looked away from her and finished my sandwich and gulped down some more of the pouch of water she had given to me.

"Say, you haven't told me your name. Could you tell me?" She asked.

I swallowed the water I drank first before responding.

"Where I'm from, it's common curtesy to introduce yourself first before going on to ask other people's names." I replied.

"Is that so? Okay then! Nice to meet you, my name is Yuri Egin." She said as she extended her hand to me.

"Same here, I go by Yukio Okumura." I said while shaking her hand.

"That name is nice. Did your mother choose that name for you? Or your father did instead? 'Yuki' means snow, did you know?"

Being around this woman seemed natural, she was kind enough to feed me out of her food so I decided that it was okay to talk to her.

"Honestly, I've never got to meet my mother. Sometimes, while growing up, I felt like always wanting to meet her. I always wanted to know what kind of person she was. She had died giving birth to my older twin brother and me, but she really was the one who named us I was told at least."

"...What about your father? Do you live with him then from this mentioned place you're from?" She continued to ask me.

I hesitated to tell her about that part of me, she was the first person in weeks who hasn't been afraid of my presence. I looked away before going on, staring off into the sky when I spoke.

"I've never met him either and I'll be lucky if I never do. My brother and I were adopted by a very kind man instead... He's still one of the coolest people I've ever met."

I realized how I said the last part out loud and felt embarrassed that I did. But to be around this lady, the atmosphere around her seemed very natural and easily calm.

"Wow, sounds like your adoptive dad is a really great guy!"

"Yeah, he was..."

She took a second before putting a hand on my shoulder and lean on me. I looked at her.

"I'm sorry. He's gone too, isn't he?"

I nodded.

"He was a great person, like you said. And he was the only one who would've ever told me of my mother. He promised how he was going to 'When the time was right', but then he was killed in the line of duty."

"From the way you just said that now... Are you saying he was a man of the military then or something?" She asked.

"Or something..." I could only say.

"I'm sorry, I've must've made you re-live something really terrible, haven't I?" She apologized quickly.

"Uh, no not really. Don't worry about me, how about yourself? What are you doing here all alone in the forest?" I asked in turn.

"People didn't understand me and called me a witch simply because I have different beliefs from them. I made myself start to live out here on order to be closer to my friends."

I looked at her again.

"I'm sorry it had to be like that for you. So, who's 'Them'? The people from where you're from?... 'Friends'? Just how bad could they have been to others that you had to leave everything you once knew for them? Are there more people in this forest? I only saw that one tent you have over there so far... Don't you have a place to go back to? Your home?" I asked all at once.

"No, how about you just tell me more about you and Rin. It's just that I don't have many stories to offer."

I took notice of what she said that I quickly stood up and moved back a few steps to create some distance.

"No way... I've never said my brother's name once! How do you know it? Then what did you have me eat earlier?... Where am I at?! You know, don't you?" I accused.

She moved to stand in front of me and I took another steps back when she tried to reach over to me.

"Yukio I'm sorry-"

"Just who are you?!" I interrupted her.

She took a step back before answering me. I immediately became suspicious as to who she was.

"I guess I let it slip. You see, this whole place right here is my space alone. I've been looking for you but when I've had no luck, I decided to arrive back at camp. Imagine my surprise when you were right here, of all places. It was lucky since I didn't even know exactly where it was you'd show up here."

Taking a moment to take in all of what she said, it still didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

"How is this 'Your space'? Why have you been looking for me? I've NEVER met you before now... Are you saying that you were the one who sent me to this place?! Send me back. I have no need to be here and I definitely don't need to keep on wasting my time here when I've got so much work to get done back at my dorm."

"It doesn't matter if we've never met before, what matters now is the present and how you're here now in this moment. I admit to the fact of how I was the one who had called for you to be here Yukio, but I honestly mean no harm to you. Please trust me." She said very carefully to me.

I shook my head at this.

"There's no way I can trust you. In the way you said everything just now, it's almost how you're saying that you have some type of power that made me appear in here. That sounds like the work of a demon and if that's what you are, I'll have you know now that I'm a fully qualified exorcist working under the Knights of True Cross! Shiro Fujimoto trained me well and I won't lose." I said as I took a defensive stance, somewhat bluffing on how I actually had no real way to strike back when I have to.

It could've been way easier to be disarmed like this in a situation that turns into this if only I had something like blue flames that could back me up for sure, like Rin has. But I'm the human twin, and it always comes back to that it seems. I shook my head at that and looked back at Yuri.

I prepared for the lady to fight back any time now and she took another step back in her supposed attempt in how she was saying how she didn't want to fight me.

"I won't fight you. Choose to believe me or not, but I had not lied to you once since we first came into contact. The food was perfectly safe. I'm a complete human, not a speck of demon blood to be found within me if you want to know. I was an exorcist of a Lower Second Class level myself actuually. I don't have my exorcist identification card on me so I could only ask that you take my word for it. I don't think that I could cook a meal as good as Rin's but I hope you enjoyed my lunch, I made it all myself just how you like it I hope so." She was still smiling kindly to me and I only let my guard relax down a little hearing all her words.

"I don't think you're lying but I just can't trust you right away either. Just how do you know me? Did you hear about me from the Order too? Is that how you knew of my brother's name being 'Rin' right on point? Because I'm pretty sure that his case files don't say 'Blue flames of Satan, level 01 danger' and 'Skilled cook' right under it. How were you able to get me here unless you're admitting to be working under a demon? Is all of this some kind of big plan to take Rin's demonic powers for your own use? Or something else by me as a hostage of sorts?" I carefully asked her in return.

She bowed slightly in front of me and I thought that this was the time that I could run away to safety into the forest as fast as I could go, but what if then I came across one of her mentioned 'Friends' around the area and caught? Plus, how many of those others could be around here anyways? I really found myself to be in a real disadvantage here.  
I can't imagine them to be thugs with looking at her but at the same time, they were a group of people that made her see a need to leave society and civilization altogether and come to here, of all other places. Even though I was thinking to run off that I felt a small part of me wanting to stay and listen to what she has to say somehow and that was the part of me that I chose to listen to, hoping that it wasn't some sort of mistake.

"What do you want with me? Especially that you went to all this trouble to 'Bring' me into a place like this, how did you even do it from where I was? The academy is supposed to have magic seals and powerful barriers to prevent certain higher level types of demons from slipping through. If there is any kind of weak point or tear in just one of them, it's supposed to be reported to the Headmaster as soon as possible in order to be repaired." I said.

"If you really want to know so much... This place is a dream, yours specifically, but I have complete control of what happens. You see, there are just a few things that I need to let you know of."

"If that's all what you wanted in the first place, then why did you have me walking on endlessly in such an open space like I did if you only wanted to talk to me? What's the point in doing all of that then? Again, only demons have this power to enter dreams, don't you get where I'm coming from?" I asked.

"Like I said, I went looking for you because I had no idea where you'd end up when I had you brought here. At the same time, you're right and you're wrong: I'm not a demon but yes it's true that I am using some of the power of a demon but only because we both see it's necessary in order to help you."

I was taken aback, I had no idea what exactly could be a win from having a demon 'Helping' me. Which demon did she mean? I can't think of any who'd want to do me such 'Favors' whatever it may be.

"What makes you want to 'Help' me in the first place anyways? What could you and this demon you speak of possibly gain from going through all this trouble of supposedly helping me? Look, I'm not trying to be rude here and all but we've never met in the waking world so you don't owe me a thing. It's better for the both of us if you could just send me back into my room so I could wake up and forget any of this place ever existed."

She shook her head at me.

"No. Sorry but I just can't do that, you see, this is just something that you need to know of. I'll be lying if I don't say it doesn't mean that right now you find yourself in a situation between life and death."

"Why aren't you going to take me back?... Just in the way you said that, are you trying to threaten me?" I took another careful step back from her when I asked that.

"What I'm really trying to tell you is how you are in danger in the place you're at now. I do not mean at the Academy or here in this field, the thing is that you are in danger from yourself and your negative thoughts. You can't be like you've been anymore. I'm here standing before you Yukio, to let you see what it is you wish deep inside if it's what you truly want. I hope that after spending some time to see everything that results from your two wishes that you will go on, that you'll want to change you mind and live your life to the fullest because all life is valuable." She nodded when she finished.

My eyes widened, there's no way how she would know. I haven't even dared to tell Rin how I've been feeling lately. I thought back when I was in my room before falling asleep, a moment that seemed like ages ago, when I did have two thoughts that even surprised myself. If that's what she meant by my "Two Wishes", then she could only be talking about those thoughts. I decided to brush it off, what she just said.

"I have no idea what you're even talking about. How can you ever know what I'm thinking, unless you're some kind of mind reader like in manga series, then it's not possible. I'm leaving. If I have to find my own way out of here, then so be it. Have a good day ma'am." I said as I started to make my way to walk in the other direction into the forest. The sun was still up so I better cover as much ground as I can if I want to get out of this place as fast as possible.

"But weren't you the one who thought that things would be better off if you were never born in the first place? That maybe you just wanted to disappear? Those were your thoughts from what I understand. Am I wrong? At all? Try to correct me without lying. Can you do that?" She asked me and in a one out of zillion chance got to be right on point.

I froze in the middle of walking away when I heard that. This can't be real. What kind of dream could I be having that it's lead to this? I don't know her and she doesn't know who I am but why? How can she have said that? How? Just how?!

Looking down at my feet, I couldn't make myself move forward. Why did that catch up to me in my dreams like this? In a dream that seems so real. No way. I made myself turn around and walk towards the woman to stop right in front of her. I was taller than her by about a foot and looked down to face her.

"Fine, I did think that. That's right. But there's no way you can know what I was thinking. I was angry and completely alone at the time. Not even my brother could've repeated what you just said in a thousand years, ever." My voice was slightly shaking at the last sentence and I coughed to clear it.

"What's important is that you accepted what you said and didn't go back on it. That's the first step you can take for us to being helping you." She smiled saying that.

Looking over to the forest, she whistled out by using her thumb and first finger between her lips and blew loudly.

"What did you just do? Did you call for anybody to here with that just now?" I asked taking a step back from her to be cautious.

"Don't worry Yukio, they aren't dangerous. I just have to let my friends know that I'm leaving here for the time being." She replied easily.

"What? Are you just going to leave me here with those people then? I don't even know you all that well beside what you've told me and then you're leaving me with some strangers?" I questioned.

She slightly laughed as she continued to gaze on towards the forest.

"No silly, you'll be going with me but I just have to let them know that WE both are leaving here. I haven't left from here in quite a while myself actually."

"Just how exactly can we even leave this open field? I don't see any kind of transportation that you might have here." I said while scanning the area surrounding us.

"Has anybody ever told you that you ask a lot of questions?... Plus, not to be rude or anything but you'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen, okay?"

"...Fine." I sighed in response.

Awaiting in silence now, it only took about a minute later to see movement at the forests where she was looking at. Out from peeking from behind the trees stood two little lower class demons. They were small golems about the size of a young child and beside that one stood an even smaller one. Were these demons some of the 'Friends' she was talking about? An exorcist who was too friendly with demons? The woman had bent down and held out her hands to invite the both of them closer.

"Come over here, it's perfectly okay. He won't hurt you guys. Right Yukio?" She said looking up at me when she asked.

"Uh, no?" I said because I had no real reason to fight with them.

"See you guys? Just get over here, I need you to do me a favor, okay?" She said talking to them.

The demons had hesitated to get over here most likely because of my new presence here but sure enough had started to move toward the woman. When they reached her, she pulled them into a big hug and that actually surprised me.

"Yes, that's it! It's okay... So, could you two do me that favor of going around finding the rest of the gang to spread the news of how I won't be here in a little while? I will return but I just have something that I need to do. Okay?" She asked of them as she held them in her arms.

They nodded and she held them tightly for a few seconds longer before letting them go and giving them each a pat on their head with both of her hands. They ran back where they came from the forest and she stood up to then wave at them while they disappeared in the forest again.

"Exactly how many of these friends of yours do you have in the forest there? It must be filled with lower class demons like those ones just now."

"I lost count after a few hundered. I take care of them and they take are of me in return, so from that we all became good friends!" She answered.

She then turned to face me and took out her hand signaling for me to to the same.

"First of all, you're going to have to tell me how any if this is going to work with what you want to 'Help' me with. What demon are you working with here?" I repeated again.

"Like I said, just wait and see how things will play out and it'll be okay. I'm not here to hurt you one bit. But as for that demon, sorry but they asked that I keep their name out of this as a condition in letting me borrow some of their powers. It's not any kind of demon contract but more of a deal which benefits everybody in the long run. I can't say anything that might influence you in any way and I guess the only thing that I CAN say is that they aren't from this forest but someplace far away. Now take my hand, come on."

I hesitated to but I pulled up my left hand to take her right as we stood facing each other. All of a sudden, the environment where we stood had started to change around us, everything moving around so quickly had made me close my eyes because it felt like we were moving, transporting, into a new place...

"Here we are! That wasn't bad how I landed us to where we needed to be at." She said as soon as the falling motion I felt had stopped.

When I opened my eyes and looked around me to see my surroundings, I couldn't believe my eyes.


	3. 3 Never Born

**Yukio Okumura POV**

Once I had decided that it was safe to open my eyes to look around, to take in all my surroundings, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

With the powers claimed to be "Borrowed" from some demon she knew, Yuri had brought us both to stand in a middle of a, currently empty, cemetery.

It was totally different from where we had started at, from a bright open field and morning sun shining upon everything. Now it was clearly night time, plus being noticeably colder when compared to the intense heat I was under of before. A full moon had risen up already high in the sky.

"Hey, why did you bring me here? Of all places?" I asked, wanting to know why she had taken me to a cemetery.

She looked around for a moment before moving to face me and look up at me. Wearing a more serious expression on her, I waited to hear what her answer could be.

"Yukio, you had first thought about how, in the part of the world that you occupy, how everything could be some better kind a place if you were never born. You'll understand what I mean sooner or later when I say how that kind of an idea isn't all that much true." She replied.

"But what do you mean by that bringing me here? A cemetery is a place for people to bury those loved ones who had passed on. For people who had lived and then died. If I was never born, then how could I end up beside you in this kind of place now? Someone who never existed can't be buried. Nobody in their right mind would pay for empty caskets... You're not making any sense Mrs. Egin." I told her.

Moving a loose strand of her long wavy brown hair out of her face, she only repeated what she said to me before.

"You'll just have to wait and see, I can't influence your thoughts from what you're about to learn. I told you that was part of a deal that I had made beforehand, remember? Uh, think of this as a sort of show and not tell." She shrugged her shoulders saying this.

I put a hand on my face, at least I've built up very high levels of patience dealing with Rin all of these years. In a way, she seems like him, doing her own thing, not caring what others think about her when she left society, and to beat around the bush a lot like if I had asked Rin if he had finished his homework or not.

Right now, I know that I can't do anything to get back to my dorm room. As she said, she has full control of everything here so I will be stuck in here while she's present, moving us around like this. All I CAN do, is to just go through with these visions until the end I guess.

"Okay, fine. But you'll have to promise me that I'll make it back home, and in one piece because I still don't get how those borrowed demonic powers of yours work. I don't need to lose a limb transporting from place to place if you can't handle using it." I said, defeated.

"I promise! You'll get back home alright! Like I said, you can trust me. But call me 'Yuri', okay?" She said while putting up her hand like saying an oath, pledging to keep her promise to me, and then letting it drop back to her side.

"Plus, even though I said that I won't talk all too much, I know that I'll have to answer any of your questions and clear any of your doubts if I find it necessary to do so. I'm allowed at least, if I'm careful about my words and don't give away too much." Yuri added.

Crossing both my hands across my chest, I thought to myself for a second. She really did kind of seem like Rin, but that could only be because I've been only worrying about him so much for the past few weeks, and that became a constant thing.

Also, it seemed to me that by Yuri's personality, she did seem to act way younger than she was, so I decided that I could try and use this a little then.

"You win. I don't have much of a choice, to have a say in it at all anyways. I'll play your little game..." I said.

"Good to hear." She said with a grin.

"...But I think I'll stick to 'Mrs. Egin'." I finished.

"Wha- Hey! I said for you to call me 'Yuri'! You make me sound like some kind of old lady when you say it like that! 'Yu-ri'. It's 'Yuri' I told you!" She said sounding a bit annoyed at me.

I raised an eyebrow not expecting for her to have reacted this much, to acting like a kid who corrects an adult as to what kind of candy they want when at the store.

"You may be able to control some visions right now, but you can't control my tounge. So with that, it'll be 'Mrs. Egin' whether or not you like it. I'm here whether I like it or not, right?" I offered as a trade off.

Yuri shook her head, and then she had looked up at me with a small smile.

"Fair enough. You got me," She said realizing I was right. "But I didn't bring you here just to make fun of me, now did I? Come on, follow me." Yuri responded with a more serious tone.

In the way she said that all of a sudden, it made me remember where we were at. Yuri had turned around and had begun to make her way in the other direction.

"Where are you heading now? You can't possibly know where you're going... Mrs. Egin! Hey!" I said but she was ignoring me as she walked on.

I sighed and looked up seeing her going into the distance. As I thought, I have no choice but to follow her wherever she wants to take me. I face palmed, not used to dealing with a person who goes through so many mood changes like her. Rin is constantly loud and always contrasting my character but Yuri is all over the place with her personality that I almost can't keep up.

Walking on ahead to go find her, Yuri was still walking deeper into the back of the cemetery.

Speeding up in my pace to catch up with her, I followed her into what seemed like a minute or so. With the darkness of the place, it was hard to know exactly where it was that I was going.

Not being able to see clearly well, my foot had fallen into a hole in the dirt and I had stumbled a bit, then realized that I had pushed over Yuri and landed next to her, lucky to have not fallen flat on my face by reacting quick and putting my hands out to brace for the impact.

Having fallen on her back, Yuri had been also caught by surprise too.

"Ow! Can't you watch where you're walking?... You okay?" She asked while rubbing her back and wiping dirt off herself.

Getting up, I saw her blurry hand as she handed me my glasses back which had fallen down off of my face. Having wiped the specks of dirt that fell on the lens using the side of my yellow sweater I was wearing, it was luckily not cracked or scratched on any part on the lens. Since I didn't have any spares on me like I usually do, it's best to keep this single pair that I have in a good condition. Putting out my hand to help her get up, she took it.

"Well, sorry. The humidity of this place had been fogging up my glasses and I can't really see where I'm going here. It was you who had stopped right in the way so suddenly. Don't you have any source of light to use for more visibility? Like a small flashlight? Or even some matches on you to make some kind of easy torch for us that we can use?"

Yuri's expression looked like suddenly a lightbulb had just went off in her head after she had finished cleaning extra dirt off of her sundress.

"Now that you mention it... Ah, yes! I DID pack in a flashlight here with me!" She exclaimed.

"Now, where did I put that thing? I was sure that I had it around in here somewhere..." Yuri said while talking to herself, digging through her side bag she wore.

"Do you need a flashlight to look for your flashlight in there?" I asked sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes and ignoring me, still looking through her big side bag, she pulled out a small, easy to carry, flashlight of a grey color the size of my hand.

"Glad I found it! Now, here you go." She said while handing it over to me.

Flipping on the switch I found on it's side, I was temporarily blinded from holding the flashlight the wrong way, to making it shine right on my face.

Turing it off as I rubbed my eyes, I heard Yuri's muffled laughter while she tried to hold it in.

"That's what you get, calling me old." She mumbled.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" She laughed, waving it off.

"I didn't call you anything even close to being 'Old', I just used your family name. Get used to it ma'am. Besides, you can't be more than between at least twenty-one or twenty-five years old at the most. That's not old at all." I said while my eyes adjusted back to the dark of the night.

Turning on the flashlight and then looking back at her, now being able to see her more clearly from the glow of the light I had pointed downwards, there was a light shade of blush on her cheeks.

"Uh, thank you. That's really kind of you to say but, really, I'm just a little bit older than that... A- anyways, the flashlight is fully working, right?" Yuri stammered, embarrassed to admit her age.

"Oh, I'm not going to ask how old you are, that'll be very rude of me to do. But yes, it seems to be working quite well, and it's a powerful light I'll tell you that much... I need to get myself one of these." Mumbling the last part to myself, I saw that Yuri seemed a bit lost in her own thoughts, smiling to herself.

"So, Mrs. Egin, why did you just stop here all of a sudden for? Is it because you found something?" I asked her, taking her out of that trance.

All of a sudden, she came back to reality and looked up to me. Yuri nodded her head and changed her expression to look very grim and glanced over to the closest tombstone that I see it must've been where had fallen in front of, just noticing it.

"Yukio, I'm sorry for what you're about to see..." Her voice said quietly.

Not being able to understand what had caused Yuri to have changed her whole mood like that, I could only follow her eyes and glance on over to the tombstone. Looking back at her, she had turned her head away and closed her eyes from it.

"Yukio, could you read me the name that was carved on the stone?" Yuri asked, her voice shaking slightly when she asked that which, in turn, had made me tense up slightly.

"Ah, sure?" I answered after that, unsure what she meant.

I bent down and held up the flashlight in front of me pointed on the front of the stone. Trying to read the carvings on it, I couldn't make out what it was and had to extend my hand to brush off some of the dirt from it. It looks like it had been here for a while and it took several more wipes from my right hand to get some of the grime off of it.

"Mrs. Egin, the name reads.. Sh... Shie- No!" I yelled when I was able to read the worn out name.

Stumbling from sitting on the soles of my feet, I fell backwards and dropped the flashlight. Somehow, the light had landed to shine full on to the name carved on it. Suddenly, I couldn't move. I was only able to sit up and stare at the stone, not believing my eyes although it what was as clear as it'll ever be.

My hands were shaking and my heart beat rapidly from the horror at what I realized. It was clearly the name of somebody I knew well. This had to be a lie, some kind of sick joke. No way.

"Yukio?" Yuri asked.

"Th- this can't be... What are you playing at?! You're just messing around!... Tell me... Tell me why her name is carved THERE?!" I yelled more out of fear than from anger.

Yuri had stepped forward to standing right in front of me and bent down slightly to hold up her hand to me. Without her saying a single word to me, I only felt numb and couldn't react at all.

"There's just no way that any of this could be even real. It's all still just a dream? A dream... A dream... Dream..." I said to myself while covering my head with both my hands.

When I didn't respond by giving her my hand to stand back up, Yuri stood back a step after releasing a short sigh. The only thing I could do was to stare at the name on the stone and nothing else. My entire mind had gone blank and I felt my face go pale and start to sweat in the cold night. This can't be true, but how is this grave here?!

"You know her, there's no mistake about it." Yuri said, saying her thoughts out loud.

"..." I couldn't say a thing, my throat was suddenly dry.

Moving to walk back towards the side of the tombstone, Yuri had wiped the rest of the dirt covered words that were carved into the rock. When she had finished, she started to ask me a few questions before standing up from her spot.

"When did you first meet her? From that moment on, you should've noticed just how special she is to you, am I right?" Yuri asked me.

"For years... For years I've known her... But... Ju- just what is this? Her grave?" I was finally able to force myself and ask.

"Like you already know, since you were introduced to her at that time, you were qualified to help in her in her delicate health. She was always a sickly child and barely went to school or any kinds of public places actually..." She started to say.

Moving her hand from where she held it, Yuri stood up and took a few steps back to let me see what she had just wiped clean. My eyes widened in the shock of the date that laid there.

"This isn't a dream anymore, the power of the demon I'm currently borrowing has the ability to show realities, that's all that I can tell you. You see, here in the world you thought would be the best, that you were never born, that means how you never helped this young lady with the issues of her failing health. Since it was never addressed, as you took notice of when you saw the date displayed on here... Your friend, who goes by the name of Ms. Shiemi Moriyama, she had died a mere few months, almost a full year, that if you would've met her. Your medicine and from what you studied in your Doctor Meister of how to mix herbs around, where you're from, it's what extended her life and essentially cured her in good average health able to be attending school. This young lady buried six feet under us, she only had her mother, but really lived and died alone other than her mom there." Yuri explained.

Taking in all of her words and letting them sink in while she picked up the flashlight and held it in her hand. I could only force myself to stand up, not being able to even think of a response to all of what I had just heard from her.

My legs wobbled when I fully stood up and I almost fell over because my knees were still feeling weak. Before I could lean over and fall back to the floor, Yuri had grabbed onto me. Moving my right arm over her shoulder, she supported me and helped me move to lean against a nearby tree a few steps away from where we were.

Pulling a small handkerchief that she grabbed from her dark brown bag, she wiped my face as I stayed silent.

"Are you okay, Yukio?" Yuri asked, holding up my left hand and placing the cloth in my palm.

"What does it look like?" I could only ask.

"Well, if you want to ask me, you look like crap." She told me honestly without holding back, shrugging.

"...How?..." I started to ask.

"What?" Yuri asked, not understanding what it was exactly I wanted to know.

"Mrs. Egin, how could you know of all of that? Just who are you?" I finished while looked down at what was in my hand and I gripped into the hankerchief.

Taking too long to say anything, I put my hand back to my side and stood up from the tree to stand in front of the woman, who keeps doing things that surprise me, saying things that should be impossible.

"Well, if this is your reaction to the first person, I wonder if you can last the rest of this whole thing." Yuri said, purposely avoiding my question.

I felt my anger rise and with that recent scene before me of Shiemi's own grave that I saw, there was no way I could find it in myself to deal with this kind of feigned ignorance at the moment.

"You can't be serious right now, you HEARD what I had asked you. Tell me who you are! There is NO possible way you could've known any of that just now. I've been having this feeling that you know a LOT more about me and my brother than what you've been letting on!" I started to yell.

Yuri had taken a step back and still didn't answer, head down to stare at the floor she stood on.

"Stop messing around with me! I just saw SHIEMI'S grave back there. I'm not in the mood right now!" I continued in a growing frustration.

She still didn't want to tell me a thing she knew.

"Why won't you answer me?! What could be SO bad that you can't say it to me Yuri! What can it POSSIBLY B-"

"Don't worry so much about who I am! YOU'RE alive right now. I only wish with EVERYTHING that I am, to just show you how you can't go through with your dark bad thoughts! Those negative ideas can't become reality no matter what." She yelled back.

It caught me off guard in how desperate her tone had sounded just now and I can't think of why she wanted to 'Help' and supposedly save me so much.

"So why not? WHAT is it that you want from me? Exactly wha-" I asked but interrupted by her.

"I've been out of everything around here for however many years by now... Lukily, you have this chance to go on after everything. Don't pass this rare opportunity up to see what you need to! Now don't you worry about who I am from now on, I've been DEAD and-" Yuri stopped herself and froze.

I had gasped on the shock from what she had just blurted out. All of my anger seemed to diminish and we stood in silence. Neither of us had moved or looked at each other at all.

Suddenly, I had realized how I let the confusion and stress from the situation overcome me again like what happened to me in my dorm room earlier. I can't let myself become such an angry person like it's been.

What I need to do, better now than later, is to stop from reacting so much based on from my emotions and come back when I took a minute or two in order to properly communicate with the people around me.

Shaking my head from my previous behavior, I had made myself take a deep breath in and let it back out slowly.

Yuri still did not look up and so I took a few steps to stand in front of her.

"Mrs. Egin?" I began.

She didn't say anything but slowly moved to look up and make eye contact with me. Without either of us saying another word, I ended up doing something that even surprised myself.

Hugging Yuri, I apologized.

"Sorry for being so tough on you Mrs. Egin, the whole time I've been here. Guess I don't see how difficult it can be to deal with somebody as stubborn as I can be, and here I am always finding myself to complain about how hard headed my brother is sometimes." I told her.

Feeling her hands move up to my back, Yuri hugged me back and nodded.

"I'm sorry too, Yukio. I've been told before how I can be a bit rebellious myself, and just that can be tough to deal with in itself." She said in apology too.

When we let go she looked back up at me.

"I can't ask you to forget what I had accidentally blurted out just now, I'm just too honest to take that back by now and-" Yuri had started to say but I put my hand up to stop her there.

"Yeah, that didn't make any sense to me either seeing how you're physically right here in front of me and all, but then again, either this is just the most vivid dream I've ever had or your borrowed demonic powers are working really well for you now. I will ask no more about it. Everybody has something that they can't really talk about, even me, I just hope that I didn't make you think of any sad thoughts from that the way you said it Mrs. Egin."

Back to wearing a big grin, Yuri had shook her head slightly and looked back up at me.

"No, don't you worry about it. But can do me just one thing though..." Yuri began after taking a step back from me.

Shrugging my shoulders as an okay for her to just go ahead with it, she went on.

"So, I kind of noticed how you finally called my name earlier! Why'd you go back to calling me by my family name again after?" She pouted.

Thinking back on my words and realizing that I did do as she said, it made me laugh to myself a little.

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" Yuri asked.

"Oops, guess I made it slip having been so caught up in the moment that I did. Thanks for telling me so I won't make that same thing happen again... Mrs. Egin." I told her while scratching the back of my head and chuckling.

Yuri held her mouth open seeming very tried by that just now and face palmed for letting me know.

"How about just changing it to 'Ms. Egin' then? I'm not exactly married you know." Yuri offered.

"Huh... Is that so?... Well okay then. It'll be 'Ms. Egin' from now on." I accepted.

Feeling the handkerchief was still in my hands, I put my hand out to give it back to Yuri after folding it neatly.

"Oh, you can keep that. It's okay." Yuri said while gently pushing my hand back.

"Really? Isn't it yours?" I asked.

Stopping for a second to answer, Yuri nodded.

"Sorry I have to put it in this way but with the rest of what I have to show you, you will probably need it with you for that." Yuri said.

Tensing up at her words, I placed it in the pocket of my jeans. Without even thinking about it, I turned my head to look over at what was Shiemi's grave. Forcing myself to look away and back at Yuri, the next thing she told me was something I did not expect her to even suggest. Then again, how did this young woman NOT surprise me?

"You really like her, don't you Yukio?" She asked in a very interested tone.

I jumped back being asked that so suddenly just now.

"That I what? Me? No way. It's not like that!" I answered while waving my hands in front of me and shaking my head, denying this claim.

"C'mon, you're a bad liar, especially with how flustered you look. Who's going to find out if you tell me? Nobody. You know that I haven't lied to you once Yukio, don't try to lie to me... So?"

Turning away to not have to look at Yuri, she had just asked me to admit to myself something for the first time that I've been keeping way deep held within me. This was something that I didn't even want to acknowledge of myself but what could I do?

"Maybe I do..." I started off quietly, more like grumbling to myself.

"What was that just now? You can tell me! It's okay." Yuri's voice encouraged for more from where she stood behind me.

"Okay! Fine! Yes! Yes... Over time I've grown some... Certain kinds of... Feelings for Shiemi." I finally admitted.

"That's good! You're finally being more honest to yourse-"

"But..." I continued on by interrupting Yuri, "It doesn't matter. Even I could see how well she gets along with Rin. The two biggest people in my life are getting along so well with each other. I'm really happy for the both of them, honestly, but I still can't exactly stop those feelings I get of... Of jealously." I finished.

Yuri didn't answer yet but only took a few steps forward and I had felt her hand pat the top of my head. She had reached up standing on the tips of her toes in her attempt to try and comfort me with what I just revealed.

"How is it that you're able to make me talk about myself so much Ms. Egin? Usually I can just tell others that I'm fine and get away with it, but you are right on point." I asked while placing a hand over hers that she moved to my shoulder, standing behind me. Thinking how comfortable it was, I thanked her silently.

"Dreams are were people are the most vulnerable because they are in their own minds and their very own thoughts from when they think of different situations from their waking life. ALL of it comes into play. As I have told you before, this is no dream anymore and we are in a different kind of place with these kinds of powers that I have for right now. It might be from how you did start from a dream?... Yeah, that must be it." Yuri answered.

"Ms. Egin?"

"Yes? What's up?" She asked curiously before moving her hand from patting my shoulder to walk and stop right in front of me, waiting.

"Thank you." I simply said, completely meaning it.

"Anytime!" Yuri said smiling again.

Taking a moment before going on with I wanted to say, I made direct eye contact with her before continuing.

"I'm think I'm ready. Yes... I'm ready to go on and see what else you have to show me. If we stand around a place for too long like this, then I might just go ahead and wake up. If that were to happen, then we'd lose contact really easy, won't we?"

When Yuri shook her head, I thought that she had meant that she thought I wasn't ready to see the things up ahead with that just now, but then she explained.

"It doesn't really matter how much time we take actually. It's more like a second that you sleep in your dorm is a day you're walking around here with me. There's no real need to be rushing in and out from place to place." Yuri informed me.

My eyes widened in surprise from hearing that.

"J- just how powerful can this demon even BE to hold such high levels of power like that?!... I mean, sorry, I shouldn't question." I fixed when I realized that I had just asked.

"It's okay. Now just as you said, I do believe it's time now, agreed. What you will about to see next, please understand that it might shock you, even more than just earlier too. But you most definitely MUST go see it all no matter how brutal it all may be." Yuri had warned me.

"I understand." I answered as clearly as I could, taking this challange.

"You've changed and affected the lives of so many people in your life that you'll be able to see exactly how much you do. Now, let's go. Are you ready to continue on?" She asked while holding out her hand to me again.

"There's no going back. Yes, feel like I'm ready." I said after I had glanced back at this Shiemi's tombstone of this world and looking back to Yuri and grab on to her extended hand.


	4. 4 Heartless

*Edited chapter one, any rereads?

 **Yukio Okumura POV**

Again I could only close my eyes at first when Yuri had used those borrowed demonic powers to move the both of us into a new place.

When I first opened my eyes to see where I'm at, Yuri held a concentrated expression to be really focusing on something, most likely our next destination. Looking at the surrounding area, there was no physical kind of anything around us: Colors flew past at amazing speeds and we were floating through a really huge stream of this colorful moving place, if it was even a place at all.

It felt like falling through midair, skydiving through speeds of more than one hundred miles per hour as we seemed to be falling downwards for the whole time.

Then, the feeling had stopped as suddenly as it had started, of moments in flying through what felt like very strong winds.

After what seemed like a moment of being suspended, everything slowed down and then I finally felt my feet land on some real solid ground.

Once I was sure that we had landed safely, I then had to blink a few times until I got used to the sudden shine of a now incredibly bright afternoon sun.

"Ugh, I can't get used used to that kind of feeling when I'm moving that fast... But can't I get at least some kind of warning beforehand about the time of day? My eyes aren't all that much used to the frequent sudden changes in light." I asked while rubbing my eyes with both hands and then looking at Yuri, blinking away the sting I felt.

"Hey, sorry. But that much? I know of course where we're going to end up at but I just haven't memorized those smaller details like that." She said shielding her own eyes from the sun's bright rays too.

Finally being able to look around and now more used to the light, I took in everything of the new area.

To say that I was caught off guard was the least of it. Just to be here now at all was something that I didn't expect so soon.

"W- Why am I back here? I thought you had said that I wouldn't be for a while?... Can you be any more confusing?" I asked Yuri in confusion, but had mumbled the last part to myself.

Looking at me, she had then scanned to see about the surrounding area too, but with an expression of thinking to herself without answering me yet.

To me, this place was all to familiar: From the very sight, the same sounds of a calm breeze softly through the many trees, and to even the same constant yet gentle whistling from the different birds... It's all still the same from when I last stood on this spot. The environment was exactly as I last saw it...

Even able to recall exactly the very first time that I had ever stood a foot on this property, it was when I was seven years old, something that I remember so clearly to this day. It was a big moment to me in how much it had changed my entire life around as I knew it, and from that, it still continued to affect me.  
Actually, it was at that time in my life, from that point on, where everything began: When I was taken in to start my rigorous training to become the person I am today... An exorcist for the Vatican's Knights.

Here I stood before the grand gates of a campus, the land where the one-of-a-kind famous and prestigious school known worldwide as "True Cross Academy" stood. It was nine years ago that my adoptive father had first brought me to the classes he was the teacher of, a role I took over after he had died, as a teacher of the exorcist Cram School for the Anti-Demon Pharmacology lessons. Anything and everything I know of being and exorcist was taught by him. Ever since he's been gone, what I've been told, is how now I'm his living legacy, the last piece of proof that Shiro Fujimoto had lived, his student and son.

"Okay, I know what you're thinking and you're close, but it's not exactly right." Yuri said suddenly which took me out of my thoughts and memories when she noticed how I was spaced out.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Yes you're back here, but yet you aren't. Well, to explain, let me put it in this way... Where we are now, this is earlier in the day you've lived so far. That right now as of this moment you should just be getting back on campus, if I'm right. But in this world I'm showing you, to put it simply, is that you don't exist so instead that isn't ever going to happen. Not in a world that you weren't even born into of course." Yuri informed me.

"Why do I have this feeling that you already know everything already? Everything that there is to know? That's kind of intimidating in how much of an enigma you really are..." I then added, not really awaiting an answer. "Okay, so then anyways, what you just said, then what is it that I have to see here? To just go about campus? It can't be too much different than what I already know since I already lived it like you say. I'm just one single student. I can't have created such an impact in my time here so far from just waking up to stroll down and up in the same school hallways just as the other students do." I said, confused.

"I do know where you need to be when I get us moving to somewhere but other than that, there's this little fact, just a small detail I didn't mention yet... It's just that you won't be heard or seen if you do get to roaming around the area, at least the places with me right here." Yuri informed me.

"That I what? Huh, so that sounds like I'm some kind of 'Ghost' moving through behind the scenes of where I show up." I thought outloud.

"Well, when you put it in that way, then yes you are. Wow, and you just explained it way better than I could've!" Yuri said with a grin.

"Well, that makes sense. You said that I wasn't born so I can't really be standing in front of the school gates now, can I?"

"Yukio, you're really good at picking up things quickly! It seems that you understand much more of this better." Yuri said while giving me a thumbs up with a grin.

Taking a second to answer, I had decided on something quick.

"Well, I'm not known as the 'Genius Exorcist' for nothing you know." I said sarcastically, waving it off like nothing.

"Yes, yes, I know. Of course it's all because of that. Their 'Youngest Genius' ever." Yuri said in a sarcastic tone as well while shaking her head with a small grin.

'I won't pry much from her, but if I were to quickly say something sarcastically again, she just might eventually say some stuff that might allow me to understand her more, indirectly. Just only the small details that she can pass on, if she lets it happen herself'.

'I still found this was strange, to have another who knew your life story even though we've never met. Yuri seemed trustworthy enough so far but there still seemed something off and something real different about her that I couldn't quite put my finger on and still haven't exactly figured out what it could be, what she might want from me and not Rin instead'.

'I guess that doing something like this again when talking can help me out and be real handy later on if I need to know'.

Fixing my glasses back up since it slipped off my face a little, I looked back up at the two ridiculously huge campus gates again before the two of us.

"So, how do we get through here? The gates are closed, adding to the fact that it's supposed to have a strong barrier. I do know of an open entrance that we exorcists use to go through. That gate is always watched over by some other guard exorcists stationed there, for watching the area 24/7 of course. It's the only real way to get through to the inside of the academy, but when we do get there, will the seals and magic circles react to us being around there? With those borrowed demonic powers you've been using lately, I kind of expect for the alarms to go off when we make it near..." I started to ask Yuri but remembered some of her words before. "Or the Anti-Demonic alarms wouldn't react at all because I supposedly don't exist now?... That's all too complicated to figure out now but we won't know anything for sure until we get a move on to arrive there. But it's so far off almost to the other side of the property so I guess it's best to start walking now, right?" I asked, all more to myself, before taking a few steps forward and proceeded to walk ahead.

"Wait, Yukio, before you go anywhere, I have to tell you something." Yuri said, which stopped me in my tracks and turn around to face her.

"Ms. Egin, what is it?" I asked her, making a few steps back to turn and stand in front of her.

"I didn't bring us here to make it into the campus itself. Instead, I did so I could explain some of that stuff I did for you just now, right before we make it to where you're really going to be at, and so you know the general area you're in. You needed to know what you are right now if we were to suddenly walk past some people for the first time. Sorry to ask again but are you ready to get a move on? Which means we have to move for another place." Yuri said and extended her hand understanding that the rush of moving around from place to place wasn't all to pleasant to me.

"We have to move again? So suddenly?... Ah, okay then. But I don't think that I'll be getting used to that kind of uncomfortable rush feeling from getting around places anytime soon." I sighed when I took her hand.

"Don't worry! You'll get used to it like I have already! After a while, you won't even realize that we had switched to a new place! Now, c'mon." She said optimistically when she grabbed my hand.

Being suddenly thrown back to feeling like I was being blown through very quick speeds, it was this time much considerably a shorter trip.

When we landed on the concrete floor, I stumbled a step but luckily was then able to find and regain my balance.

I shook my head and stood in place for a moment until the slight feeling of my head spinning had stopped.

"There's no way I can get used to going through with that. It's too weird of a feeling. I primarily walk when I need to go places, using the keys when the distance is further." I explained to Yuri.

Scanning the new area, the sun was still up in the sky so the time of day hadn't changed it seemed. Turning to look behind me, I sill knew the area.  
This place was the path that led to the academy from where Yuri and I had started from, and it must've been why the trip to get here was so quick. It was just about one or two miles to make it towards the academy from here, and big trees were lined up on both sides of the wide sidewalk we stood on.

"We could've walked, it would been way longer to arrive, but I would've preferred it if I knew we'd end up here, rather than moving through to this place like we did just earlier." I said, speaking my thoughts out loud while scratching the back of my head.

"If we did do like you just suggested with that just now, then you would've missed it. You and I wouldn't have made it in time for you to see what you need to from this area I brought you to." Yuri explained to me.

"Alright, you got me there." I said with my hands up in surrender and then put them back down at my sides. Okay, so saying it like that, how long do we have to stand around here for if something important is going to happen like you're implying? Sorry, I don't see anybody I know in this place, or anybody at all for that matter actually, except from the two of us standing here... I guess that I'll have to leave you to be the judge of these things ma'am." I said while looking ahead both ways to see if anybody was making their way to where we were standing but to no avail.

"No, it won't be too long before you see them. You'll know who they are of course! Now I just have to make sure that you know this, there's just that one detail that you always have to know."

"Yes, Ms. Egin?" I asked when I looked back at her, still not yet having spotted any movement from either way of the path from where we stood.

"Even though we can see and even actually feel each other physically make contact, the people around us, the thing is that they ca-" Yuri was suddenly interrupted.

From inside the area left of us where we were facing, very well passed one of the two lines of big trees, it was out from that direction that we heard what was clearly the sound of an angry demon that had growled as loud as it can. This just had to be that the demon had somehow seen or smelled the both our presence from where we stood and became territorial as it rushed over here to attack us! If people can't see us, can another demon's power can?!

It's footsteps from stomping around had started to rumble the ground under where I stood on. As far as the demon was, that's definitely a bad sign.

Feeling the shaking of the Earth, this kind of demon must be really huge for it's size or really strong in it's legs. Either way, it wasn't slowing down as it charged right towards us!

From the edge of the wide sidewalk the two of us were on, I could see some trees from within that forest area as they were tumbling down left and right, some flying through the air and land in a huge crash from the trail of destruction the demon was making. Any second now, the demon would surely reach us and I don't have any single kind of offensive or defensive PIECE of equipment an exorcist is supposed to always have them when being out in the open. This was ridiculous in how out and incredibly vulnerable I found myself to be without anything on me, a really unfortunate realization to know.

"Oh no! We're in too close!" Yuri said in surprise.

"You mean that the large demon charging towards here was what we were supposed to be waiting for?!" I asked in disbelief. "So, was this supposed to have even happened at all?! No, we can't be here. We could be attacked by that and I have absolutely nothing on me! Not even some Holy Water for a diversion let alone a single bullet to use. Come on, let's go! We have to get out of here, as far as we can from it's destructive rage." I said in a hurry.

From behind me, I still kept hearing the smash of the tress as they were forced to fall down by the strong impact of the charging demon. Turning around too see what it was when it appeared, if there was some small kind of chance that we could move from here to safety, I noticed how that wasn't possible at all.

Letting out another deafening roar which made the two of us cover our ears from it's intensity, the demon was one of an incredible size. There in front of Yuri and myself stood, on it's four legs, a giant king lizard demon of a bright blue color with a neon green streak running down from its neck to its long tail. What struck me as something to take note of, were the wounds that covered it's entire body.

Immediately, I then figured out that not just the big size of the demon was the only problem here.

Taking notice exactly how the trees fell down around it, there were clean slice marks on those trunks that were made by none other than the demon itself, right through each one of them.

Not seeing any kind of sharp parts on the body of the lizard so far yet, I could only guess so far that it could be that it has a tongue that it could sharpen for attack since it was the only part of it's body that wasn't immediately visible.

It stood in place long enough and I looked at the demon over, seeing that it was indeed dripping in it's own dark red blood.

'Did Yuri and I possibly find ourselves in a battle between two demons? Or what at else could have left such severe injuries on a demon of an intimidating size like that? Something had caused the demon to become so caught up in it's seething rage. Over territory? But the lizard demon seems to be running away from something? There's no time to answer any of those or to think about what's going on now'!

Turning to look at Yuri, she was frozen on the spot, just looking at this dangerously angry demon that was rampaging in front of us, looking startled from the sudden surprise of this 'Guest'.

Having no way to leave, already in it's sight and smell, I subconsciously still quickly reached on the back of my shirt for my weapons and cursed under my breath when I suddenly forgot I didn't have anything. It was an automatic reaction I had when faced with a dangerous situation like I was in now, in front of a very deadly and uncontrollable demon.

Seeing how I was not alone, it was much harder to defend us both and escape, to think of any kind of way out of here. I kept trying to think of something but it was all too risky to try. Any options were very limited at this point.

The giant demon, looking to be the size of two vertically stacked fire trucks when on two legs, growled again and had suddenly risen it's tail high up in the air and that sight had been the worst of all.

Glistening against the shine of the sun, it's tail was the sharpest part of it's body. The edges of the demon lizard's tail was sharp enough, including to having enough force, to slice several trees of a thick trunk cleanly through more than fifty times over.

'For a person to stand in it's way, there were no chances to even think of an escape, this was a fatal attack when used. The only way to get away alive was to have been able to take it down before it got to you first, but there was no way right now. This was a situation of 'Defeat Or Be Defeated'. No, it was more like... 'Kill Or Be Killed' '.

As for the range of the tail, quickly calculating on it's size and length the best I could, it would reach to Yuri and myself, and will even be able to reach to take down several of the trees that were behind us too.

Seeing the demon's sharp tail, it was pointed high up as the demon must've been ready to strike again.

'No, I just can't let that happen, but I can't do anything about it either?!'

When the demon had unleashed another angry growl, it had made the remaining trees around the area of us shake and some loose leaves had been blown off thin branches. All that I could do and all that I could think of was how Yuri was frozen on the spot and hadn't made a move or even speak a single word.

"Ms. Egin, you have to get out of here, out of its way! I don't have anything on me right now so there's no way to go about trying anything against it. I'll be the bait for you if I have to! Go! Go NOW!"

"Wait! Hold on!" She said to stop me, grabbing on my right arm.

"I'll catch up with you, just go!" I said more clearly but saw how she didn't move yet and still stared at me.

Everything had turned into slow motion as crucial time ticked on and I was thinking over what I could do for us to escape: 'Run left or go right? Jump towards or from the trees? Is it safer to go towards the demon past it and confuse it into the forest or to the line of trees behind us and go off in another direction? Do we fall to be flat on the ground and miss any hits or is the range attack of the demon long as well as wide?'

Not having too much time remaining to make a choice or think of a plan, my options and decisions here were only even more limited the more precious time had passed. I could tell that she wasn't going to move but I wasn't going to waste any more time trying to convince her to do so otherwise. The only thing that I can do now was to reach over to grab Yuri's arm and pull her behind me. She was surprised at me but didn't say anything as I put my hands out and stood in front of her to take any damage that might come our way the most that I can. Even as powerful as that demon was over my own strength with how I am now, this was the only thing that I could do. I chose to protect Yuri over running away and saving myself.

'If I found myself to be in the same situation, yet alone, I could've ran off already and have dodged any hits way better than this now. Yet if I did run away and ended up leaving Yuri behind here, no, that's not the kind of person I'll be because dad raised me better than that. I can't allow that, I won't'!

Not moving from where I stood, I can already tell how it was too late and nothing else could be done, nothing can save us now. Yuri and I were definitely in it's path of attack.

Watching the demon raising it's dangerous tail, an ominous dark glow of a dark green color started to grow around it. The demons power was mainly to slicing yet now it was just as if waiting have gathered more strength to be strong enough to destroy as much of the land as it could in a complete circle. I only stood my ground where we were and didn't leave Yuri.

With the adrenaline coursing through me, everything still seemed to be in a slow motion movement as I anticipated the attack ready to come at us.

Right when the tail had started to swing back slowly and go on to move in a motion to slice again with it's tail, I had closed my eyes shut and braced for impact, not having much else of a chance to do something different at this point.

"Rin..." The face of my usually smiling brother had flashed across in my mind as I stood there.

Hearing the tail move forwards and start to make a sound of slicing through the air, it was then that I heard a distinct noise of what made it stop in it's fatal swing halfway and tore through the tail of the lizard right off. The sound was one that I knew well, it was from something that I've been trained to use for years, this sound was from the very thing that I was lacking off in the moment... The sound of shots from a gun being fired, but was it an exorcist's gun?

Opening my eyes to see who could've been the one to fire, I still saw nobody around. Whoever was here must've been in the woods themselves, behind where the demon came from. Hearing the shot echo how it had only meant that the person was still a ways off in the forest, knowing to keep their distance when facing the demon because of it's devastating power it had with that tail it uses.

Stopping to hear more clearly, there were sounds of a few other voices! It sounded like more than two or three, but I really couldn't tell. The demon had then howled loudly in it's pain of having lost it's tail. It might have been fighting against one who must have be a person of a Meister in Dragoon such as myself and they returned!

I still couldn't see where it was that the shots came from and even less even know who even fired those rounds. Whoever it could've been was someone who had just protected Yuri and myself without even realizing that they just did. The fact that it was someone who had such a skill in accuracy made me think, but I couldn't come up with any answer who was the one who pulled the trigger. The Knights don't really train Snipers against demons, they're rare with more trained for mid-range combat like me, but I don't even see any higher ground where they might be aiming from so a Sniper really couldn't be it but just a skilled shot.

Footsteps were starting to get in closer and eventually, a few figures started to appear running to this area. Even from the distance that they were, there was no mistake about it, all of the people that were arriving at the scene were all exorcists. All were wearing that unmistakable long coat in their own fashion, the coats that were the issued uniform of the Knights of True Cross Order.

"Great! He's done it again. Just look at this mess!" One of the male voices of the coming group complained.

"He?" I asked myself in a low voice.

The demon had then moved to try and run off in the other direction into the other line of trees. It was more easily stopped from doing anything more as it's now lost it's main type of attack.

Turning around to check on Yuri, I sighed in relief on how quickly the tables had turned and that the rampaging demon was stopped in it's tracks.

"That was pretty close. Are you okay, Ms. Egin?"

She just smiled kindly at me as she nodded.

"You know, you didn't need to protect me, Yukio. It would've been okay! We won't get injured from anything going on around us. I was just surprised is all, haven't faced a demon that scary looking in a while." Yuri told me.

Running a hand through my hair, I groaned annoyed at this.

"That's news to me! What more could there possibly be to this?" I mumbled while scratching the back of my head.

Yuri was only smiling at me and it caused me to take a step back wondering what she's thinking.

"Yes?" I asked her, not meaning to sound rude.

"Still, I want to stay thanks for protecting me, Yukio!"

I couldn't help myself but relax and smile slightly, her mood was contagious. I stretched both of my hands above me and then leaving them back down at my sides.

"Yeah, sure. Anytime, Yu- Ah, you're welcome." I said quickly.

"Wait! I heard that just now!" Yuri said with a gasp.

"I said nothing else." I dismissed with a small wave.

Turning around, I was finally able to see the exorcists more clearly. It was definitely a group of three and I did know who they were: Mr. Tsubaki possibly the group captain here, Mr. Neuhaus of the Tamer Meister, and Ms. Ren Asami with a Knight Meister.

"I know them all, and especially Neuhaus. But he looks... So different? Not even his eyepatch?"

The three exorcists all surrounded the demon as quickly as they could in a triangle formation and prevented it from going any further into the forest.

"I don't understand why I always have to be put a team under that guy." Mr. Tsubaki complained.

Mr. Neuhaus had called forth his demon familiar to take care of the lizard king of the forest, who still uncommonly seems to only want to escape and not fight at all.

"Right?! Plus, how do we ALWAYS end up having to clean up his messes?! I'm an exorcist, not part of some kind of cleaning service!" Ms. Asami agreed.

"What I don't understand the most about all this: How in the world does somebody as heartless like HIM become our boss of all things?!" Having called one of his Naiberius demons to prevent the lizard demon from leaving and currently calling another bigger one for the attack, he continued talking to the other two. "He'll get someone killed for sure one of these days! Paladin or not, he's NOT the kind of guy I trust to bring me back home to Michelle and my children."

Hearing his words closely, I distinctly heard Mr. Neuhaus use the word "Paladin" which is only used for one and one exorcist only.

'The way that they talked about him, Angel can't be so evil now that everybody turns out to hate him so much. What could he have been doing? Corrupt by power? The Angel I know is usually air headed and a being quick to act before thinking kind of guy'.

I moved a few steps closer to the group and wanted to hear more from them.

Mr. Neuhaus had summoned one of his strongest demons to finish off the demon lizard king and the group of three relaxed.

"Well, I sure wish that we were allowed to vote for another leader because this Paladin is too much trouble to keep up with. Why must we be forced to always deal with him?" Mr. Tsubaki suggested while shrugging his shoulders with a loud sigh.

"Remember Kaoru, we have no choice. If the Vatican decides to keep switching leaders, then it creates confusion and unstability. Even if it's the likes of that dude, at least he has the strength to get the mission done." Ms. Asami explained to Tsubaki.

"You're sounding like my wife Michelle, she told me the same thing! Ah, why couldn't we have gotten someone like Angel as our Paladin? He's young but he's got SOME potential if he was considered for the rank too, right?" Mr. Neuhaus asked.

Hearing that from the group, I realized that my first guess was wrong.

'Who was the one exorcist that held the title of "Paladin" instead'?

I glanced over at Yuri who was listening to their conversation as well, but she looked somewhat sad at heading their words.  
Yuri was always a step ahead of me while I caught up to what she what showing me, and she always seemed to know more.

Suddenly, the three exorcists had visibly tensed up all of a sudden.

"Well it looks like you're stuck with me for the time being. While I'm still breathing, I'm the one you'll be answering to. You got that pipsqueaks?" Said a voice from behind me, a familiar voice.

The sudden appearance of the person that walked up to the group had startled me. When I had turned around, the person who stood right in front of me was none other than the man who raised my brother and I, the only other person who could be ranked a "Paladin": Shiro Fujimoto.

I froze in shock, he was alive, really alive. He was actually standing in front of me again, he was okay. Something I've never thought was possible, to seeing him once more.

"D- Dad, I-" Stopping when I realized that his eyes weren't even meeting mine and frankly, his eyes weren't even his eyes, or at least just not the eyes that I knew well.

"Ms. Egin... Wh... What's going on?" I asked her when I took notice of his mean expression, very unlike the smiling father I knew.

I couldn't move from where I stood. This was someone that I would've never guessed, to have met again and the surprise had me frozen in place.

Yuri had walked to closer where I was, right by my side.

Not moving an inch from where I stood, dad was still in front of me but I can tell that his eyes can't see me yet right through me, directly at the small team of three exorcists. He looked angry and even the atmosphere around him seemed incredibly heavy and really negative to be around.

"Who are you...?" He started, which made me think he could see us.

"Just who in Gehenna are you, to think that you could take away my entertainment?! MY prey?!" He yelled at them while looking extremely pissed walking towards the group and any sense of hope that he noticed my presence had quickly faded away.

'Even his voice had sounded different, that it seemed to be deeper from telling off others all the time'.

The exorcist team, already done with taking care of the demon had jumped at his sudden voice when he had arrived before. Now they seemed... Scared of him? Because of his sudden outburst, they finally had an expression of fear on their faces but only AFTER having finished off the big demon that was in a rampage? I kept looking on wondering what made my father get such a reaction and bad comments from those others when I usually saw him smiling and joking with the other exorcists who loved him dearly as their leader.

He walked closer to inspect the carcass of the demon and sighed while shaking his own head towards the team.

"Now, what was all of that about wanting me to be gone? You want that Angel kid as weak like he is to take my place now do you?" Dad asked the three and looking at them a if they were something disgusting found under his shoes and pulled out to light a cigarette.

"Dad? What's going on? What happened to you?... You aren't my dad, no way. He's not like this." I asked more to myself in the shock of the sight of this man who looks like the one who raised both my brother and I.

Yuri kept quiet as she still stood next to me while I was still watching the scene unfold before me. Suddenly, she took to explaining what I was witnessing as he scolded his team for acting against him and killing the demon themselves.

"Yukio, this man here, you know him as Shiro Fujimoto. He's about the same as he ever was, the only difference in the man here and the man you knew is... He raised two sons and became kinder in order to raise the both of you and opened his heart in to becoming a good father in the best way that he can." Yuri started while the exorcists started to talk back to him.

"But Fujimoto! You KNEW that this demon was the ruler of the forest! He wasn't your target so there was no reason to have hurt him!" Ms. Asami tried to explain to dad, no, to this Paladin.

"This man who stands before you is the exorcist everybody knew of, and even come to eventually hate. Before you and your twin brother were born, people never wanted to be around him or much less even work with him. That's how bad it was. You could even say that he learned to care for others through him taking care of the two of you, but because the three of you never met, he's as cold and ruthless as ever." Yuri concluded.

'It's true that growing up with many other exorcists, I have heard of the occasional remark of dad's past come up but yet slowly, that kind of talk had seemingly stopped altogether. I was young at the time when I first heard a few comments about him while overhearing it from his colleagues but I didn't understand. No, it was more like I never wanted to believe them and brushed those off as bad jokes trying to annoy my dad. When he stood right next to me one day and somebody asked him jokingly who he was and why he was so nice today, he laughed it off along with the rest of the exorcists and pat my head wearing the big grin that I knew well. Ms. Egin made me finally connect the dots and allowed me to see what kind of person my father was before meeting my brother and I, and it wasn't a pretty sight'.

"That's PALADIN Fujimoto to you! Now listen, it's my job to eliminate demons, is it not all of a sudden?! Tell me, what have we all trained for?" Fujimoto asked her.

"The demon wasn't even trying to fight back, but attempting to escape us. Now sir, was torturing it so close to death really so necessary?" Mr. Tsubaki asked Fujimoto.

"The demon was lucky we were even here to finally take it out if it's misery. I am trained to protect humans and not become a demon when taking care of demons like you! Paladin or not, I'd rather quit my title as an exorcist RIGHT now rather than keep pretending that I support your immoral ways of fighting!" Mr. Neuhaus had said in an insulting tone.

"Well, what do we have here? "Lucky it's out of it's misery"? Don't tell me that you spineless fools are actually siding with the demons now? Of all people, you should know exactly what demons are capable of! If you guys are really the assigned teachers to the future generation of exorcists, then I fear for the whole future of Assiah. We might as well conjure up that bas***d Satan HIMSELF to see what you guys think of demons then! As long as I am your leader, all demons will be eliminated and nobody will side and be friends with the filth that demons are. Those who protect demons are scum who'd rather let hundreds of humans die over taking care of a demon. Kill any demons in your path where those murderous beasts stand no matter what! It's as simple as that. Any more complaints?!" Fujimoto told them off to which they faced the ground really angry at him but not daring to talk back anymore against their Paladin.

Silently, the team of three left after Fujimoto had walked passed them and on the way to the campus. The three exorcists had walked a little distance behind their boss to talk lowly amongst themselves sharing their hate of the man who held no similarities to the one I used to call proudly as my dad.

"Lately, I've heard how fed up Sir Pheles has been with Fujimoto. Once he decides that he finds Fujimoto as too much of a hassle and no longer a pawn in his game, then that's good for us. Wait until he hears about the mess of his forest!" Mr. Neuhaus told the other two.

"What do you mean?" Ms. Asami had asked curiously.

"I do believe that he's implying that Sir Pheles will take care of the problem for us. All in due time." Mr. Tsubaki answered as the whole group made it out of earshot and I couldn't hear anything else from them.

"Ms. Egin, I... I believe you now. There's no way that you're lying to me at all. I do hope that this isn't just due to some kind of demon's mind game, but you're explaining everything so well that even I can't ignore the facts."

"Yukio, thank you for taking the chance to trust me. Remember I promised that you will return back home and wake up just okay and I keep all of my promises." Yuri said with a smile towards me. "After seeing all of what transpired earlier, you should be able to understand the kind of role that you had in making the former Paladin who he was: A very kind hearted and a very loved man amongst his colleagues." Yuri stopped and then changed her tone when moving to face in the direction where the exorcist team had left earlier. "The Paladin that you saw who walked down the path back down to the school campus is very unpleasant and is doomed to live a life of being hated and will eventually die alone. He will go down is history as a man best forgotten, quite the contrary to the Paladin you know that will be cherished and lived on by his two sons who will not ever forget him." Yuri finished explaining to me.

"So you're saying we were the ones who changed him from that? My brother and I?"

"For the better, yes... So now that you understand what Fujimoto was like, it's time to see somebody else now who you've impacted deeply. Are you ready to go?" Yuri asked me and I nodded without saying a word while taking her hand to disappear from this spot and back to flying as the place around us changed.

*"Ms. Ren Asami" is not from "Ao no Exorcist", I created her.  
*If you may have already noticed, this story will not exactly follow the anime or manga but will be similar. Reason is to allow me in being more creative and not predictable. (Similar example would be like the anime FMA and FMA: Brotherhood, close but not the same if that makes sense?).


	5. 5 Always Alone

***** Edited all previous chapters too.

 **Yukio Okumura POV**

"Okay! We're finally here." Yuri told me.

Almost losing my balance as I finally felt my feet land on some solid ground, I regained my footing and steadied myself.

Looking around where 'here' must be, it was near an empty family park and not a place I completely recognized.

Without anybody close to scare them off, black crows took over the swing set and didn't even seem to realize that Yuri and I were here. Stray cats wandered around on the sidewalks, behind the fences, on high tree branches, all really just minding their own business. Not too far off, I could hear the sounds of several cars passing through the streets including the occasional honking every now and then.

"Ms. Egin, This place... Are we really in the True Cross city?" I asked, realizing where we were.

It was still the late afternoon I noticed, the sun was still high up in the partly cloudy sky. Though the day might have seemed the same, I reasoned it must be a different day seeing how wet the ground was and how soft the dirt under my shoes were. It must've been recently stormy around here it looks like.

"You're on the right track, Yukio. We're just in the middle of the city within walking distance to where we need to get to. This is a type of place where you need to be careful to not get lost at either, it's a really big place you know." Yuri told me.

I could see only a few people, some standing in their small groups talking down at the corner of the street, and another person crossing the street with their young white haired Shiba Inu puppy.

"It seems like we're about on time if we started heading over now, think so?" Yuri asked me.

"You can't even ask me that since I don't even know where exactly this is. I really don't go out into the city as much unless I have to for work. Am I really so connected to this place?" I asked in return, running a hand through my hair.

Turning her head to face me, Yuri grinned.

"What does that look mean? Do you know something here that I don't know about the city? Something like _demons_?" I questioned.

Shaking her head at my last comment, she thought for a short moment before answering.

"Hmm, put it this way: If you think about it, maybe you're connected everywhere without actually being connected to it. You ARE linked to a place indirectly because of the people you're surrounded with, so even though _you_ might not be interested to a specific place then it might be one of your friend's favorite place to go... You know how there are "Friends of friends"? Think of it as like a "Place of a place". Do you kinda understand it that way, Yukio?"

Taking a few steps closer to her while nodding, she explained that quite well just now.

"Well, when you put it in that way then I guess it's something that makes sense, Ms. Egin. So you're saying that someone I'm currently close to in my waking moments have some deeper attachments to the city than I've ever had... I see what you mean."

"Okay then! Good to know it's easy for the two of us to be *on the same page!" Yuri said with a big smile and raised her hand for a high-five.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment just now?" I asked with an eyebrow raised as I clapped against her hand.

"Was it?" She asked me sarcastically as she did an about-face to walk down the sidewalk out into the city area.

"Thanks." I replied in a sarcastic tone as well.

Grinning at that, I followed close behind in her pace as she walked ahead. There weren't many people outside but even when we did pass by them, they would pay no attention to is as if we weren't really there again.

I kept my guard up so we weren't caught by surprise again and for myself to not miss anything important. I needed to understand more of what was happening to me.

Going down several sidewalks and taking a new turn every now and then, I followed Yuri in silence while my mind was heavily thinking.

Understanding how I'm indirectly related to parts of the city, we were walking into the "Bad" side of town, the side where you wouldn't want to find yourself lost in alone at night.

'It's a demons gathering around this area, but not the kinds of demons that we Exorcists fight against, no, the demons of humans consumed by their greed to power, with an unnatural hunger in obtaining riches, mostly those who primarily work in illegal activities.'

"Mrs. Egin, you do _know_ where this is at, right? The kind of _place_ you're taking us?" I asked really carefully.

"I know what you might be thinking but I'm not mistaken on where we're heading. It's not too far from here now, so we better get there before sunset." She said slightly turning her head to face me, still walking a few paces ahead of me.

"I'm thinking that _you_ think I'm somehow connected to these known thugs, and possibly the Yakuza if you're taking me around here. I'm not that kind of person who'd ever do what they do, I wouldn't."

Suddenly, Yuri stopped walking and I stopped short of bumping into her. Backing off a few steps away, we were standing across from of what looks like an old abandoned building, seemingly unused for several years.

"I understand that this isn't who you are, but you'll just have to wait until it's just the right time to know _why_ the city is important to you, and we're already right where we need to be."

Looking back up at the building, it must've been a hotel at some point in it's existence, but it's lost it's original bright colors. Some parts of the outer walls were covered in graffiti, all of the surrounding area was littered with garbage, broken windows from the empty rooms somewhat revealed the old dusty conditions inside, and the sign that should welcome in new visitors was on the ground looking to have been apparently torn off from the wall itself on purpose.

While I was looking at the building, cautious of any demonic activity or any of _those_ people belonging to those delinquent gangs, I saw nothing yet and nobody suspicious thus far. The place seemed quiet, but it was _too_ quiet compared to how dangerous this place was supposed to be.

While in my thoughts, I felt a drop of water land on my face and slide down halfway across my cheek before I wiped it off.

"Rain?" I asked myself looking up and noticing the clouds gathering overhead and thee sky gradually becoming darker.

"Ms. Egin?"

Trying to get her attention while she was crouched on the ground holding her head with her hands, she was facing towards the area of our left.

"Yes? Something wrong?" She asked turning her head to face me but not standing up yet.

"I just didn't expect to feel the rain, it just looks like it'll storm soon so don't you think it's better to find some cover?" I suggested.

Distantly, I began to hear the thunder from the oncoming storm, almost like a warning of the impending downfall of its cold water.

Still staring ahead of her, I walked towards her but she surprised me by suddenly standing up.

"Finally! They're all here. I was wondering where they were."

'They?' I asked myself.

Sure enough, a group of five people were running down the sidewalk of the abandoned hotel in front of Yuri and myself entering through a huge break in the side fence, completely disregarding the worn down "NO TRESPASSING" sign posted on that very same fence.

The people were all still too far away for me to be able to see their faces, but I could hear their voices as they talked amongst themselves.

"Hiroki! Hurry up already or you're gonna get stuck in the rain!"

"Shut it, Ryota. The one you have to tell that to is Lost. Don't you dare lump me in together with him!"

"Well, you might as well be his twin! The both of you are equally as dumb AND annoying!"

"Say what?! Hmph... Ryota, why I outta-"

"Hiroki! Ryota! Quit your bickering back there or the both of you will be sleeping outside exposed to the storm tonight!" Said a different voice.

As he commanded, the two behind him stopped arguing, yet continued their passing of silent glares back and forth to one another.

Finally getting close enough into my line of sight, I realized that I indeed recognized their voices: This small group of people were former classmates of mine before I enrolled into True Cross Academy: They were the infamous Reiji Shiratori and his gang.

"Hey guys, how about just moving your mattresses outside anyways so I don't have to deal with your annoying voices. Deal?" The smart mouthed one of the group, Daisuke, said thinking aloud, earning two heavy glares from the latter two.

"Ms. Egin, is this group of people who you're looking for?" I asked in my confusion, knowing that I always steered clear of these guys as much as I possibly can.

Turning completely around to face me, Yuri nodded to confirm my suspicions and it only made me wonder how much more important these guys are to me now. As Yuri and I watched on from across the street, I kept trying to hear the group more closely but the thunder and winds were preventing me from listening on clearly as they made it further inside the building.

"We should be able to follow them in, c'mon Yukio." Yuri said, suddenly crossing the street without warning.

"Hey! Please watch where you're going, the streets here are still dangerous you know." I said while following behind her after checking both sides of the road.

"Yukio, it's only through here now. Oh boy, and it's _really_ starting to rain!"

Following Yuri through the side fence opening, we ran inside into what looks to be the old front lobby. Inside was the usual four guys in Reiji's gang and he was sitting down on a huge worn down sofa like it was his throne. He was the leader after all, but what was there to follow from this guy? Personally I've never understood the type of people like these five.

"Wait, there's someone missing, Shiratori." The usually quiet one of the group said aloud.

"What do you mean Takeshi? We're all here, aren't we?" Hiroki asked.

After a loud clap of thunder, the lights overhead went out and left everybody inside the building in its darkness, interrupting their conversation. It left me wondering who the extra person was since it already seemed like everybody was already accounted for here: Reiji, Takeshi, Hiroki, Ryota, and Daisuke.

"Oh man! Not again! Why do these lights go out so easily every single time it storms?!" Ryota complained loudly.

"Ryota, if you want to complain about the lights so much, then go get the wood and start a careful fire in the lobby fireplace like we've had to use." Reiji said over the heavy rain outside.

"Hey, now that Takeshi mentioned it... We do have someone missing." Daisuke said, thinking aloud.

"Of course he's late, but if Lost wants to be out in the rain like that then it's his problem and not mine". Reiji said indifferently while waving his hand showing he didn't care.

'I don't remember them having an extra person. Is "Lost" a nickname as gangs are known to use? And if this person _is_ part of the group, then why don't they care for him?' I thought to myself trying to understand the situation unfolding before me.

Moving to sit next to Yuri who was sitting on a big piece of a collapsed pillar from the building, I moved to lean on a wall nearby not too far away past her as we both watched the scene.

"Reiji, you know, I still don't understand it so I gotta ask: Why do we even keep Lost around anymore? He's just some dead weight." Hiroki asked.

Acting as if he was deep in thought and tapping his chin, Reiji looked back at Hiroki.

"Well, how do I put it... You're right about how useless he is but at the same time, doesn't every good team need a _mascot_?" Reiji said in an insulting tone while wearing a grin.

Hearing this, the rest of the guys laughed along with Reiji at that cruel remark.

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightening lit the entire room and when feeling the presence of someone new, I indeed saw that there was a figure standing right at the "Entrance" where all of us came through. It was still too dark to see this person because they were still too far away from the small source of light but the silhouette was definitely one of a teenager if I guessed right.

At the sudden appearance of this new person, the laughter had quickly died down. Everybody, including myself and Yuri, had turned to face this new person to see what they had wanted.

'I had no idea that Reiji would become even more popular if I wasn't around, so does he benefit from my lack of existence?'

Walking towards the center of the room where the gang was at, I surmised that this person who goes by "Lost" must really walked all the way back here to this make-shift "Base" of theirs as each of his footsteps sounded wet with the rain water in his shoes.

"Hey there Lost! We were just talking about you, wondering where you've been. You haven't been causing any more trouble especially for us now, have you?" Hiroki asked.

"I was just in the town library to study again. I got caught in the rain on the way back, is that a problem for you guys?" The person spoke back, speaking in a tone to be uninterested in interacting with these guys.

I gasped slightly once I had heard this guy talk. Standing up from against the wall, I couldn't believe it.

"I- It can't be... That's totally impossible... Is that... Is it really you? Brother?" I questioned in my shock as I took a few steps closer to confirm if it really was Rin who stood there.

"Did you just say that you were _studying_?" Ryota asked before he had burst into laughter.

With him moving closer to the light, I was able to see more clearly that the person who was nicknamed as "Lost" within the gang was indeed Rin. Wearing a face looking to be like he was used to this kind of behavior from the guys, I could only stare at my brother not being able to fathom exactly why it was that he was with these guys, of all people.

With the light on him, I was watching on in disbelief as I took notice of all of the excessive scars and old bruises all over him. His clothes were incredibly dirty, his hair was messier than ever before, his eyes looked dulled... He was almost like a different person. I was given the terrible notion that they didn't _just_ bully him but fought with him, hated him... _Hurt_ him.

"Ryota, you don't have to be so mean to the poor guy. I mean, he's only trying to keep up with his studies for school." Reiji said to snide Rin.

"But didn't he drop-out of school a while back? What does he need to study _for_? Lost never makes any sense." Daisuke added in dismissively.

The guys laughed again as Rin only sighed, he looks worn-out and mentally drained from constantly having to deal with these guys treating him like this.

Rin had started to walk away from the scene.

"Where do you think you're going Lost Boy? You _never_ seem like you want to hang out with us." Hiroki asked mockingly.

This made Rin stop walking to the stairs to what could be where he sleeps. This run down place was apparently his "Home" with these terrible guys as his "Family". He glanced back to Hiroki and the whole gang awaited his answer. Turning away to not face them, Rin breathed out a deep sigh before speaking.

"It's because I don't." Rin answered bluntly and in monotone.

A short silence took over the room and I could only watch as they treat Rin like he was less than worthless to them.

"Now now, I bet you haven't forgotten that you owe me Lost. You do _know_ what I mean, right?" Reiji asked Rin gravely.

Looking back at my brother, it looked like he flinched at the mention of this. It made me wonder what Rin could've done to land in this situation with Shiratori almost owning him. Not answering Reiji, Rin still didn't move to keep walking on ahead either.

"See here, you owe me quite a bit of money since out of the _goodness_ of my heart I had bailed you out of that terrible cell that one time. Now, where would _you_ be without little old _me_ to save you?"

"Yes, I get it already! I was in jail for some stupid fight and you got me out! How many times do you have to keep reminding me?!" Rin yelled in annoyance.

"Don't you dare to take that tone with the boss! Don't cha comprehend? You're lucky he went as far as deciding to take you in with us!" Daisuke shouted back at Rin, who said nothing in return other than give off a scowl while staring at the floor.

"All I ask you to do is to simply pay off your debt, and then you're well _free_ to go. Of course there's a little bit of interest, but it's nothing you can't take care of, right?" Reiji smirked.

"Understood, _sir_." Rin said with a grimace.

"Glad we have come to an agreement." Reiji said, making the rest of the guys start to laugh again as Rin shook his head before climbing the stairs away from this group.

"Ms. Egin, did Rin really join Shiratori and his delinquent gang? No way, those two guys have always _hated_ each other, so why would Shiratori go as far as to pay Rin's bail? My brother, yes he was a trouble-maker even more than before he enrolled in True Cross with me, but he's never gotten as far as getting himself _arrested_!" I said, upset of learning all what was happening to Rin.

Yuri stood up and gestured for me to follow her away from the five gang members before she talked.

"Why do you believe that Rin never joined a gang?" Yuri asked me, which kinda surprised me since I didn't know how to answer that.

"Because he doesn't like Shiratori or guys like him." I answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked which only made me wonder what that could mean.

"You see, the real reason, he didn't all to protect you, his brother Yukio."

"Me?" I asked dumbfounded.

"The Rin you know, he didn't want for you to be caught up in his thug life. He was scared if maybe 'Someone dangerous out there could take Yukio for ransom'. He didn't want to put you in any danger, so he kept away from all of that even though he seemed like one of those people who would've joined in long ago with a gang. _You_ held him back." Yuri explained as I could only listen on.

Letting her words sink in, I had to take a moment in order to perceive everything coming back to me now making sense.

"Since your brother over here had nobody to protect, he did whatever he felt like doing which ultimately got him into trouble, repeatedly. Rin might still be a handful to take care of, but everything dangerous he's kept himself from was solely for your sake. He truly cares for you no matter how different you two see or do things."

"So it's all because of me that Rin is who he is? That the Rin I know is the usual loud-mouthed, happy-go-lucky guy I deal with everyday?" I questioned with a hand over my face, and acknowledging the thoughtful older brother of mine I know and love.

"Although he doesn't necessary plan things all the way through sometimes, your presence alone has greatly made him consider what's best for _your_ future." Yuri added in.

"I see now... That's why." I could only say.

"They chose to nickname him as "Lost" as some cruel joke believing he has no self potential for anything, that he needs to be taken care of like a newborn babe, believing that he can never get back into a mindset ready enough for school. It's a sick joke how Rin has to deal with the guy he hates the most, Shiratori... 'Demon' or not, Rin is more human that some of those humans thinking they can play around with another's life like they do." Yuri said in her disgust, facing toward the direction of the five gang members.

"I believe that demons are based of the heart of a person. It's not all about their race. So, if there were any real demons around here, it'd be Shiratori and the rest of those guys because Rin has more heart than those guys combined." I said unsympathetically towards those guys.

"You think highly of him, don't you?" Yuri asked with a small smile.

"Yeah he can be annoying at times, but I admit he keeps things real interesting. He's my brother, and I want to protect him too." I replied.

"I know that's true, you always try your best. Don't you?" Yuri asked me.

"Always. Even if it feels like it isn't enough."

Nodding at my words, Yuri held out her hand and with a short sigh, I braced myself knowing why, for the odd feeling when 'Traveling'...

"You doing okay?" Yuri asked me, tilting her head to her side.

"Uh-huh." I only replied back.

...

Not too long after, I felt my two feet touch the floor, it was the floor of inside a completely new building.

Checking around I saw what looked to be a sheriffs station. Every now and then, a fully uniformed officer would walk through the hallways not taking notice of Yuri and I's presence.

"But this is the station, what are we doing here?" I wondered aloud.

"It's for Rin." Yuri said simply.

"What do you mean it's for my brother? Is he doing okay?"

Shaking her head, I wondered what that could mean.

"He's not in _here_ , is he?" I almost didn't want to ask.

Finally nodding after a short pause, Yuri took my arm to lead me past an open set of double doors to the back areas of the building passing by a lot of cells on either side. Each cell room was holding a criminal, the people who didn't respect the law.

'What have you gotten himself into Rin?' I wondered.

Finally nearing the last few small cells, Yuri stopped and pointed toward the one in front of us. Checking to see who was inside, it was an older looking Rin. He was handcuffed and on his legs he wore cuffs as well. Staring at the ceiling, he looked bored and indifferent to being locked up behind these bars.

Not too long after Yuri and I had made it here, a female officer stopped right on front of Rin's cell, pulled out her keys, and unlocked the door. Startled, Rin sat up to stare at the officer.

"Okumura, you're allowed only one phone call. Please use it wisely. Here you go kid." She said, handing Rin a small cellphone before locking the gate behind her again and walking away to deal with another person in another cell not too far away being very busy.

Staring at the phone for a few moments, he flipped it open and started dialing. Letting it ring for a long time, whoever was on the other side of the seemed to have finally picked up.

"Hey Shiratori, you there?" Rin started.

Hearing that guys name, I stepped in closer to listen to the phone conversation more carefully.

"Wow! I was just wondering where you where Lost. Listen, were just about running out of chips here, could you do us a small favor and grab a few more bags? It's not like you're busy." Reiji said.

"The thing is... I've been caught." Rin tried to explain.

"Hmm, caught up in what? If you're quick about it then you won't be in the rain again, duh. So how fast can you get here?" Reiji spoke sarcastically.

"I can't." Rin said simply.

'Is he asking for bail?' I concluded. 'But then he'll just owe that guy extra money that Rin doesn't have!'

"Lost, what do you mean? 'Can't' or 'Won't'?" Reiji answered sounding serious all of a sudden.

"I was only a dollar short so I simply decided to take the magazines and walk out. The store manager caught me stealing. When they found out these other things including vandalism, they threw me in a cell here inside the Sheriff's station." Rin clarified.

"Tell me, why did you decide to call me then?" Reiji answered.

"Huh? What do you mean? Of course I'd call you. What's with the sudden change of _heart_?" Rin questioned, visibly insulted.

"Is it my fault you're in there? Who got himself caught here?" Reiji said mockingly.

Rin didn't say anything else, shaking his head and passing a hand through his hair.

"Oh wait, did you really expect me to really come to your rescue again and pay your way out of there?" Reiji understood.

Through the speaker, I heard the laughter of Reiji and a few other guys who must've been the rest of the gang.

"I knew you could never pay me back the first time so why would I waste my money on you again? There's no profit in it for me other than seeing your annoying boring face every day. Don't you see how much better you're at locked in there like an animal? Ha! I have _no_ problem with this arrangement! See you never, Okumura!" Reiji finished laughing at Rin to then just hang up on him.

"That's the last time Rin ever hears of Reiji. Good riddance, huh? But at the same time, he's no better of in a place like prison. Tied in with the activities of the gang, although he seldom took part in what they did, Rin had no choice to accept all of the charges. Including in how nobody stood up for him, not even a brother like you who would've directed him back on the right path if it ever got this far, it's just too late for this Rin." Yuri explained to me.

"But it's not fair... Does Rin have to live out his life like this?" I asked with a deep frown.

"If you aren't here with him, how could you ever help him?" Yuri questioned after placing a hand on my shoulder standing beside me.

'I've always tried my best for my brother so he wouldn't have to live out his life in a cage. But here he's stuck behind bars alongside the very same criminals and murderers, the rejects of society. That's exactly what what I've worked so hard so something like this could never happen to him...' I thought to myself.

"Don't you ever think that you don't matter to your brother, okay? See how different things are without you there? " Yuri told me.

"...I understand." I could only say.

Nodding because I said that, Yuri took my hand into hers gently and looked up at me, making me take my eyes off from the distressed Rin behind the metal bars clutching on to the small cell phone in anger.

"C'mon, there's somewhere else we need to get to. Are you ready Yukio?" Yuri asked kindly.

"Y- Yeah." I hesitated, totally unsure of what was to come next.

 ***Reiji's friends:** **Daisuke** **,** **Hiroki** **,** **Ryota** **, and** **Takeshi** **. These names are NOT canon.**

 ***Notes on progress of all my current stories are on my Fanfiction profile page.**


	6. 6 Bonds Never Made

Yukio Okumura POV

"Hey, this place is..." I started but trailed off as I took in even more of my fresh brand new surroundings.

"You got it right! Surely this is a place you are familiar with?" Yuri asked me.

"It feels like forever since I've been though the halls of True Cross Hospital. Last time I was here, it was to check up on a student, Miwa. Other than that I guess I've just been avoiding people more and more."

The familiar smell of the hospital, the sounds of many feet moving about the floors, frequent phone calls ringing at the front desk, carts being wheeled in and out of rooms... This kind of area is where I should feel most comfortable with but it's still so uneasy.

"It's okay for now, isn't it? You're here on a completely different business so hopefully things are easier to you. C'mon, there's somebody you need to see." Yuri said.

With a slight nod, Yuri turned around and started to walk down the hallways of the East Wing, with a short hand motion suggesting I follow after her.

With Yuri walking a little ahead of me, I started to think about all of the things that have been going on with Rin and myself. I remembered the horrible feeling, the fear, of what Miwa's condition was as a result of that night, the forest incident. I remembered the relief I felt when I finally knew, save for the scars from deep burns, that Miwa was going to be just alright after recuperating.

'Most of all, I remembered my brother and born from him, the fierce demon cloaked in those unforgettable bright blue flames that completely took control of him. There's nothing that could ever change that night, but even if things were to eventually cool down, nobody will ever look at we, the twins Okumura, the same again now that our secret is out.'

Walking, while being lost in my thoughts, Yuri stopped walking suddenly and I bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry, I guess I wasn't paying attention". I apologized automatically.

"I was trying to ask you something but you seemed so... Distracted. Tell me, what's wrong?" Yuri asked me sweetly.

"N- Nothing's wrong. I was just a bit caught up on my thoughts is all, nothing important really." I waved it off.

Raising an eyebrow to me, she repeated herself.

"Yukio. Tell me, is something the matter?" She asked directly without breaking eye contact.

"I was just... Thinking about my brother. I wonder how he's been doing, if he's handling the situation at hand better than I am. He didn't take it very lightly when he found out... That he unintentionally sent a fellow classmate, Miwa, to the hospital. That's all." I explained.

There was a slight pause as we stood there. People walked to and from the surrounding rooms, doctors talked amongst themselves or positioned alongside their patients. Looking away from Yuri, I immediately wanted to change the subject.

"So, what were you asking me earlier? You mentioned something about that?" I asked.

Thinking for a moment, she realizes I was right.

"Oh, yes! You see, I just wanted to know... Is there anything that you do wish happened?"

"'Wish that happened'? What do you mean?" I questioned, not fully understanding her.

Taking a moment to rephrase the question, she crossed her arms and with a finger tapped on her chin twice before answering.

If you were never born, do you like the kind of world that develops without Yukio Okumura in it?" Yuri clarified, looking up at me.

"Do I like it?... No, not one bit. Everything is going just, everything is so wrong and there is no way that I would prefer this kind of world... Everybody I know, all of them, they're not who I know in my world. Yes my father is alive but he's not 'my' dad and Shiemi isn't even... I wouldn't want everybody that I know have to go through with what I've been seeing." I said.

"So have your feelings about yourself changed somewhat since you and I have met?" Yuri asked.

"...I guess, feeling suffocated in my anger and stress, I was really not understanding that there are still a lot of people who need me."

Yuri nodded at hearing that. Before she opened her mouth to speak, I added in more.

"I assume that what you're trying to say next is that I should realize that I need them too... And I really do." I answered back.

Nodding at my response, Yuri had reached up on her toes with a hand out-stretched and pat me on the head, then messing with my hair.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked, feeling somewhat lighter as though more of a weight had lifted off of me, a relief from my stress.

"Because positive human contact makes anybody feel better." Yuri said with a smile and then took a step back.

Fixing my hair back neatly in place, Yuri smiled up at me.

"Ms. Egin, how do you do that? And so easily?" I wondered aloud.

"Do what?" She asked, curiously.

"...Nothing. Never mind." I said waving it off.

"You're welcome." Yuri answered understandingly.

Hearing loud voices talk in a room nearby, they were loud enough for me to take notice of them.

"Ow! That stings! Hey, was putting that on so sudden even necessary?" Said a young female voice.

"Who's that all of a sudden? Are they okay?" I asked Yuri.

"Funny you should ask." She answered.

Wondering what kind of answer that was, I walked on ahead of her and turned into the doorway.

When I walked into the room, I was surprised to see who was sitting upright on the hospital bed.

"Well you can't say that I didn't warn you." Paku said to her best friend.

"Whatever, I'm fine with or without the medicine either way." Izumo said in a bored tone moving up the patient bed to hang her legs over the side and kick the air in slight annoyance.

"Yukio, I trust you know these two young students?" Yuri asked, already knowing the answer.

Looking at the two girls, Paku was sitting on a stool close to the hospital bed Izumo was sitting on. Izumo looked terrible; Cuts and bruises appeared throughout her face, arms, and legs. She was being treated by Paku it looks like. Izumo wore scattered bandages on the bigger wounds and flinched slightly every time Paku used the rubbing alcohol.

"Y- yeah, they're my classmates, my students. Just what exactly happened to her?" I asked in my shock on looking at Izumo more and seeing small fresh patches of dried blood on her True Cross Academy uniform.

After placing a small band-aid on Izumo's right cheek, Paku stood up to throw away the plastic wrapper in a trash bin, already somewhat filled with similar plastic wrappers and gauze from cleaning out Izumo's cuts and scrapes.

"This young lady has been caught up in certain situations where she seems to always end up saying the wrong things without meaning to." Yuri replied, vaguely.

"Are you saying that... Was Izumo jumped from other students?" I asked disbelievingly.

With a simple nod, Yuri confirmed my thoughts to my horror.

"But that's not right, she just doesn't know how to express herself well so why are other students doing this to her?" I asked Yuri.

"You're right, you know Ms. Kamiki isn't able to efficiently express her true self so she acts cold to others. That only makes her look conceited or egoistical to the rest when she really isn't." Yuri somewhat explained to me.

Getting up to throw away the latex gloves she wore and washing her hands in the nearby sink, Paku stood there with the paper towel in her grip for a moment before tossing it out and let out a long sigh. Drying off her hands and turning to face Izumo who had turned away from making eye contact, walked back to the other side of the room up to her best friend.

Paku sat down on the bed wearing a more serious expression. Izumo tried turning herself away from Paku some more until Paku stopped her, she put a hand on Izumo's shoulder and forced Izumo to face forward.

"Why are you avoiding my eyes Izumo?" Paku asked in a soft tone.

"Because I already know what you're going to say..." Izumo answered then removing Paku's hand off of her trying to look away again.

With a heavy sigh, Paku looked down to the ground not knowing how to get through the broken girl.

"You're right. You do know what I wanna tell you, but why don't you just try-" Paku was cut off by an irritated Izumo who jumped off the bed suddenly and surprised Paku.

"Because I won't! I choose not to so why should I?!" Izumo responded angrily throwing her arms up.

"But just like today, I may not always be there to protect you and-"

"You're the only one I need, you're the only one that I trust. This here doesn't matter, as long as things like this don't happen to you then I don't care Paku." Izumo said motioning at her wounds.

"I'm happy that you watch out for me but how do you think I feel seeing you like this? Have you ever thought about that?" Paku admitted painfully.

I saw Izumo's eyes widen to that confession.

"She really does care for Paku there's no arguing that, but she limits herself by not opening up to people and making friends like Paku suggests. It seems more... Lonely that way." I thought outloud.

"Yukio, it seems like you two have that in common." Yuri said.

What do you mean?" I asked, facing Yuri.

"You keep people at a distance usually. Even though they are your friends, you keep up what is known as your 'professional' look. Just like Ms. Kamiki, you push people away. It's okay to be a kid every now and then while you still can, nobody will tell you that being young is wrong."

I couldn't say anything to that.

'She's right. There's no way that I can say all of that to Izumo and not take my own advice.'

Turing over to look at Izumo, her eyes now that I'm really looking at them, seem almost familiar in a way.

'Has she always worn that look to be in a lot of inner pain and with such emptiness? How long does the world have to force her wear such an expression until someone notices and get rid of it instead of only adding to it?... Does Ms. Egin mean that I have that same look within my own eyes?'

"The best part about you two, you can find it in yourselves to change for the better. There's no reason for you two to feel so lonely when you do have those that really care for you. Just like Ms. Paku said, she has a point when she mentions about others getting hurt because of the solitary life you choose to live. It doesn't have to be that way. Not at all."

Paku moved to hug Izumo from behind but received no response. She continued in her attempt in talking to Izumo to seemingly no avail thus far.

"Why I'm pushing this so hard... There's no other way to say this but... Izumo, I've been meaning to tell you that I wanna quit the Cram School." Paku confessed hesitantly which caught Izumo of guard the most.

"What?! Paku why-... But I thought that-... We were supposed to-..." Izumo spun around and shook Paku by the shoulders, she had no words in her shock to the news and tears were evident in her eyes. The blank, lost expression is a side to Izumo I didn't like to see.

"Paku still leaves the Cram School either way with or without me and my brother there attending? She certainly does have the potential, but what does this mean for Izumo? Who would really watch out for her now?" I asked more to myself out loud.

"Tell me, without Paku, who took care of Ms. Kamiki?" Yuri asked, which got me thinking.

"After that, it was Shiemi who... But she never enrolled in the Cram School because..." I trailed off in my realization: I am the missing puzzle piece that Paku wanted Izumo to find all along, an indirect small piece yet considerably significant.

Paku pushed Izumo off of her. She took a step back to create some distance, still trying to reason with her best friend which seemed even more difficult than ever.

"Izumo! I'm just one person, there's no way that you can fight for both us in the field like you've been doing. I'm just a burden, some dead weight, it's unreasonable to-"

"But without my best friend there, then what's the point?! Then I have nothing to fight for! You aren't any kind of burden to me, you just have to train a little harder than some and-"

"There's no way I can keep up with you and the guys in the Cram School. I already turned in the papers for dropping the class. Izumo Kamiki, you can still be a part of something bigger than the both of us! I'm not like you. You're stronger than me, and you can be stronger without me. Don't choose your path of life based off on only my shortcomings and weaknesses! What kind of best friend would I be if I let you do that Izumo?"

"The kind of best friend who keeps their promise when they said they'd stay by my side! Just like you say, it's my life so I do get to choose... And what I ultimately chose is to drop the Cram School too. That's final." Izumo then smiled as if she came to some kind of resolution which clearly upset Paku even further but looked defeated in how she knows Izumo can be when she's serious.

Walking over to Paku, Izumo hugged Paku with a smile. Backing away to wipe the tears off her face, Izumo looked content with her new decision.

"Paku, look, we can look for something else together. We don't need the Cram School at all, we'll show them! Right?"

"Izumo, I'm sorry..." Paku mouthed as she hugged Izumo, and held her even closer before finally releasing.

Stepping away from each other and breaking the hug, Izumo held Paku's hands in her own.

"I was wondering how to tell you that to you too. I've had enough of that boring class anyways. I feel like I'm not going anywhere if I stay there. What a waste of my time! I know that I can do better and we both know that you can really be better off without them too. They don't need you and I don't need them. There, now everything is settled! Now we can stay as friends, no, as sisters. Perfect!"

"Izumo, is this really how you feel? You aren't just saying this? For me?" Paku asked, unsure of how to call out the lies Izumo tried to convince her with.

"...Of course! Now c'mon, let's go! I gotta go check to change my classes sooner than later. Wow, and think about all the SLEEP I can catch up on!" Izumo said making it impossible for Paku to continue her argument.

Izumo went to the other side of the room right past me, unable to see or hear me, whether or not I can scream or throw something to catch her attention for her to notice me standing right in front of her like she needs. There's no way to stop her in making this drastic decision. Seeing this all happen before me, especially how I can't protest feels like I've failed her, that I wasn't there when I could've been.

Handing Paku her bag as she pulled her own bed over her shoulder, she wiped some of the mud off her own bag. That must've been from students taking the bag to ruin it in bullying her further. She looked at the bag passing a small face of disappointment.

"You know, Izumo, this really isn't what I wanted for you-"

"Aw, and I really liked this bag. We'll just have to go buy a new one today, now that we don't have that class anymore. Right?" Izumo said to finally stomp out the last of Paku's small flame of rebellion against Izumo's behavior and new decision.

With a short pause knowing that she can no longer win this argument, Paku silently nodded with a forced smile in surrender.

"... Right." Said Paku in total defeat.

"I don't care about being one of them. I can train my own way with my foxes and I can train even harder all on my own to protect you just fine so you don't have to worry anymore!" Izumo said with an outstretched hand to leave the room with Paku.

Hesitatingly, Paku took Izumo's hand and silently followed after Izumo out of the hospital room finally and out my sight.

"No... NO! This isn't right. How can Paku just let her go like that? I've seen the changes Izumo went though while she was in the Cram School. She's wrong if she doesn't think that it's for her, it's what she NEEDS! How can I-" Immediately I cut myself off there. Yuri looked at me, noticing my frustration as I stood helpless in watching Izumo leave behind what could've been her whole life.

Yuri said nothing and at the same time it gave me time to try and process what was going on.

"When Paku left the Cram School, Izumo choose to stay. But here, without Paku there she just gave it all up? What would she even gain from losing it all?" I asked, trying to understand what doesn't make sense at all.

"She only gains the self satisfaction of being with what she considers can be her only friend. What she doesn't think of is the far future: That one day Paku may find love, then what? Things will never be that same. Then unfortunately she has nobody else as hard as she might try. If she doesn't learn now to have a relationship with the people around her, then what's the point?" Yuri explained.

"To just shut people away like that, without even giving them a chance?"

"Without Paku with her, she feels like she can't find herself. She's too scared to break out of her shell as much as she will deny that... The twins that showed up in her life taught her to keep going even when nothing seems right and if all the world seems to be against you, to keep smiling and working through it. To be smart like Yukio and have the courage like Rin, that's what she believes."

Surprised about the last part, I had no idea that's how she truly felt about us deep down.

"Ms. Egin... Are those her true feelings? What she hides even from Paku?" I asked Yuri.

"Yes." She answered simply but it left an impression on me, that everything is not always what they seem with the people around you.

"She's willing to lose everything based on the great fear of losing Paku, but she's blind to what she can gain from staying just enough to build friendships with those who're around her. I realize just how much my brother and I have impacted her now, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't see this before."

"Considered as the "new generations of Exorcists", just how many students are enrolled in the class now?" Yuri asked me.

Silently counting as I moved my fingers down for each person, it didn't take long to realize what she asking me. I was pacing the room slowly to think.

"Suguro, Miwa, Shima, Nemu, and... That's it? Myself and Rin aren't there, Paku quit, Izumo followed, Shura has no place there as no mission exists to watch over Rin who never enrolled... It's just those four out of the seven that started out?" I thought out loud which stopped me in my tracks suddenly.

"That's a very small class indeed." Yuri said in a low tone making me look right at her.

"No. There's no way that I like this at all. Not one bit. My whole world is parallel to this one and that's the worst."

Walking over to me, Yuri picked my my clenched fist in her palm and held it in her hands. Releasing the grip of my fingers, she looked up at me.

"Yukio, as small as you may seem in the world, your presence really does make a difference between what right and what's wrong." Yuri said softly.

Pulling on my hand slightly to motion me towards the doorway, I couldn't say anything against what she was saying.

"If only I knew all of this before..." I said.

With a warm smile that caught me off guard, it had a small gut feeling like it was her telling me 'Everything is going to be okay', I felt as though it was familiar, it was what I needed at this moment.

"C'mon Yukio. Your time here is still running. You ready?" Yuri asked with a gentle squeeze of my hand, as if giving me courage.

"You sure we've never met before? Because the way you do that... Sorry, it's probably just my jumbled thoughts in my head simply messing with me." I started but decided to leave alone.

Yuri's eyes widened at that comment but she shook her head and smiled back up at me.

"It couldn't have been. Even if that was true, you see a lot of faces everyday, maybe you mistake me for someone you miss?" Yuri said calmly.

"...Yeah. That must be it." I said as I scratched the back of my head with my free hand.

Tilting her head to the side, Yuri nodded once more and we started to walk out the door.

Walking in front of Yukio, Yuri Egin quickly wiped a tear that escaped her eye much to quickly. She softly whispered an apology to Yukio, not loud enough for him to acknowledge, knowing full well that she can't tell him the truth like this. Still she pulled her youngest son along close behind her as she gripped his hand gently within her's and continued to walk on. She hid her emotions.


End file.
